That Which Holds Us (a sequel to A Brand New Dawn)
by whitebear-ofthe-watertribe
Summary: It's been months since Ladybug and Chat Noir discovered their true identities. Now that they aren't trapped by secrets, they can finally be themselves around each other. But when Adrien starts having vivid nightmares about his mother, old questions begin to resurface. Will he be able to find the answers, or will these ghosts from the past tear apart the heroes for good?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The late August sun beat down upon Paris from a brilliant, cloudless sky. The city was full of bustling noise as its inhabitants tried to take advantage of the last days of Summer. Cars drove with the windows rolled down, blasting upbeat music as they passed. Hordes of people explored the many kiosks, strolled along the river banks, and flew kites in the refreshing breeze that blew through the parks and along the busy streets.

Alya sat perched at a small round patio table of an open-front bistro just off campus. The computer before her displayed the latest article she'd been commissioned to write, and her overflowing notebook and third coffee of the day rested beside it. She tapped her pen on the paper impatiently, trying and failing to find the right words to fill her introduction. Letting out a sigh, she set the pen down and reached up to nudge her glasses onto her forehead. Pressing her fingers against her eyelids, she enjoyed the cool wind that played across the back of her neck, momentarily dispelling the day's heat.

As she sat there, Alya began taking in some of the chatter of the people surrounding her. A couple of women walking along the sidewalk were gabbing about a dinner party they were planning. A little girl was asking her uncle questions at a neighboring table as he patiently tried to teach her the rules of chess; Alya smiled at the girl's names for each of the pieces, including "Princess Pony" and calling the pawns "prunes."

An irritated voice caught Alya's attention. She curiously peeked through her fingers to see a man around her own age standing in line for the bistro's counter, clearly in a heated phone discussion.

"No, Mother… Mother I'm _fine…_ No, I'm not moving back home. School's starting and… Yes, I understand you're worried, but as I told you last week, I _like_ my job. I mean I'm honestly used to the Akumas at this point! _Everyone_ is!"

 _'Ah_ ,' thought Alya, suddenly realizing what was going on.

It was a familiar discussion that she'd heard a dozen times in recent months. A number of people she went to school with had already left the city in favor of transferring to places where the threat of supervillain attack was a bit less common.

For the people of Paris who'd lived with it for nearly a decade, the Akuma attacks had sort of become standard news. Sure, there were still plenty of people who experienced a thrill of fear every time they heard some bangs and explosions in the distance. However, most folks planned the risk of attack into their daily schedule, much like leaving their house early to account for rush hour traffic. And when friends or family called to check in, it was not unusual for them to insist their loved ones move out of the city at once. Or, at the very least, ask for updates about the escapades of their favorite superheroes and villains.

Alya had always considered herself pretty good at keeping a cool head during attacks; after all, she'd been directly involved in enough of them. She'd had a deep love for superheroes ever since she was little, and the excitement she got from running straight into the heart of battles always overshadowed any fears she might've had.

It wasn't really until Puppet Master's attack in January – when Marinette had been so badly injured – that she finally started to see these attacks as truly dangerous. And it seemed as though the rest of the city was of the same mind.

Ever since that incident, Paris had been rallying behind their heroes with a new intensity she'd never seen before. To learn that their beloved heroes were not perfectly infallible – that they couldn't always set everything back to normal after every attack – made them all realize that there was actual risk involved.

There had even been a lot of anger towards the city's law enforcement and politicians for not doing more to bring this villain to justice. A new chief of police had been appointed, replacing the father of Alya's old schoolmate, Sabrina Raincomprix. From what she could tell, this new guy – Chief Thomas Benoit – had actually been extremely helpful to Ladybug and Chat Noir. Multiple times, he'd done an amazing job of getting civilians to safety so that the heroes could focus on the Akumas. He'd even contacted Alya about her old Ladyblog, asking her for permission to use it as a civilian hotline and resource in tracking down Hawkmoth himself. The Ladyblog was more popular than it had been in years as people tried to take matters into their own hands and bring the villain to justice.

A soft _ding_ from her computer's speakers brought Alya out of her contemplation.

Pulling her hands away from her face and repositioning her glasses, she grimaced as she shifted to unstick her thighs from the wooden seat. As much as she loved Summer, she was _really_ ready for some cool Autumn weather. The notification in the corner of her screen told her that Adrien had just sent her a large folder. Clicking on it, her mouth drew into a smile when she saw the page full of picture thumbnails from last week's camping trip.

Adrien had spent a week and a half earlier that Summer in the American Rocky Mountains, participating in a photo campaign for the _prAna_ company. He'd joined a small team that climbed a handful of the 14ers closest to the city of Denver. When he returned home, he'd brought a huge assortment of backpacking gear for himself and Marinette, and enthusiastically insisted that the four of them go out for a camping weekend before school started up.

Nino and Alya were no strangers to hiking adventures. They both enjoyed traveling regularly for their jobs, and there was no better way to see a new place than to walk it.

By the end of that weekend, though, it was clear that Marinette was a city girl through and through. While she kept a good face about sleeping in tents, carrying heavy loads, and doing business in the woods, all of them could see how relieved she was to be back in urban civilization.

As Alya clicked through the pictures, her smile grew.

Adrien had done amazing work photographing their trip, capturing stunning shots of the wilderness and wildlife they'd encountered, sprinkled with plenty of excellent shots of the four of them. Of course, no small number of pictures featured Marinette as their focus.

Alya snorted affectionately as she clicked through several in a row of Marinette blushing furiously and laughing as she tried to snatch Adrien's camera away from him.

Her two friends had become next to inseparable in the past months. Alya had the sneaking suspicion that the near-death incident, as horrible as it was, had caused Marinette to finally break out of her comfort zone and take the next step in her relationship with Adrien.

 _'Well, at least_ one _good thing came of that horrible time,'_ Alya thought.

She and Nino were beyond thrilled about this turn of events; it had been something they'd all be waiting for ever since their years in middle school.

"And speaking of waiting…" Alya muttered under her breath as her eyes flicked down to the clock on her computer screen.

Her friends should have joined her at the restaurant for lunch a while ago, and now they were all officially late.

Frowning slightly, Alya reached under her chair to grab the phone from her purse, preparing to message Nino. She was halfway done with her text when a flash of movement outside the patio gate caught her eye.

Alya looked up to find Nino and Adrien hurrying up the path between tables, looking gently frazzled.

"It's about time!" Alya called, waving them over. "What's going on with you two? You look like you've just seen –"

"An Akuma?" Nino offered, coming over to her as Adrien scanned the patio. "Well, you're not wrong."

"Really?" Alya raised her eyebrows, quickly closing her computer and feeling more awake now than she had from any of her three coffees.

"An attack just started a couple blocks down," Adrien confirmed. "Where's Marinette?"

"She hasn't shown up yet," Alya replied, shoving her stuff into her bag and leaving payment for her coffee on the table.

Adrien craned his neck to peer up and down the street when they got to the sidewalk.

Alya could hear distant screams and what sounded like a man shouting. She couldn't quite make his words out.

"I should go look for her," Adrien said, turning to face Alya and Nino.

Nino smirked at him, nodding in agreement.

"Give us a call when you find her, kay?"

Alya quickly pulled out her phone, opening up her camera and turning on the spot to try and see where exactly the battle was taking place. The commotion sounded like it was getting closer.

"We'll meet up here when all of this is over, kay?" Adrien called, starting to head off down the street in the opposite direction of the noise.

Nino nodded. "See you in a –"

 _"LOOK OUT!"_

There was a loud humming noise and a flash of bright red.

Suddenly, Alya's breath was knocked out of her. A sharp pain in her shoulder told her that she'd just been knocked against the restaurant's stone siding.

Nino had his arms wrapped protectively around her.

Looking over his shoulder, Alya saw Adrien was nowhere to be found. She caught a glimpse of Ladybug swinging around the corner at the end of the block. It looked like she was carrying someone, but before Alya could get a better look, she heard a strained grunt come from Nino. Quickly she pushed him off her and placed her hands on his cheeks to see where he was injured.

"Babe! Are you ok–"

The words died on her tongue as she took a better look at him. It was as if time had been set on fast-forward; where one moment Nino stood there looking perfectly ordinary, the next his hair had turned grey, and he'd grown a bushy beard to match. Wrinkles framed his amber eyes as he looked back at her, worry streaking across his face when he saw her surprise.

"What? What's happened?!" he exclaimed, his voice coming out a little deeper and hoarser than before.

"Well, I guess this means we know what the Akuma's powers are."

Alya ran her fingers through his silver hair, and Nino frowned at her.

"What are you talking – " Nino stopped dead, staring at his reflection in the window beside her. He let out a yelp as his hands flew to his face. "WHAT THE HELL?!"

"Hun, calm down. You look fine!"

Alya fought hard against the laugh that threatened to burst out, pressing a hand to her lips as she watched her boyfriend closely inspect his new, sagely features.

"I look like my _grandfather."_

"Yes," Alya snorted, unlocking her phone and opening the camera once again as she hurried down the street towards the sounds of the battle. "Well, haven't you always said that you wanted to grow up to be as suave as him?"

"I mean, I expected it to happen over the course of _decades,_ not _seconds!"_ replied Nino irritably as he finally turned away from his reflection to hurry after her.

"Don't worry babe, you still rock a beard better than anyone!" Alya shot over her shoulder. "Oh, by the way…"

She spun on her heel and raised her phone up to him. When the sounds of the camera shutter went off, Nino scowled.

 _"Why?"_ he grumbled.

"For the Ladyblog!" Alya said brightly, turning around to continue running. "And for your Mom. You _know_ she's gonna get a huge kick out of this!"

* * *

Adrien felt a great lurching in his stomach, and opened his eyes to find himself soaring through the air. Looking around, he discovered that he'd been flung over Ladybug's shoulder, and she had an arm wrapped securely around his waist. She used her yo-yo to swing around a building's corner and up onto the rooftops of a block of department stores.

He smiled affectionately at the back of her head, realizing that she'd just saved him from an Akuma's attack so that he could be sure to fight by her side.

"Sorry to snatch you up like that!" Ladybug called to him. "But we've got a monster to stop!"

Coming to a halt, Ladybug made to set him down, but Adrien grinned devilishly and wrapped his arms around her neck so that she had no choice but to hold him up, one hand under his knees, the other supporting his shoulders.

He beamed up at her, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Adrien, what are you –"

"Wooow, Ladybug!" Adrien gushed, fluttering his eyes at her. "You saved me! You're so _cool_ and _strong…"_

"Oh for the love of –" Ladybug rolled her eyes and let her arms drop down.

With a _whoomph,_ Adrien sprawled at her feet, flinching to keep his exposed skin from touching the roof's hot tiles. He let out a bark of laughter as he gazed up at her.

"Wait, nooo!" He reached out to her playfully. "You're my hero, Ladybug! You're so _pretty_ and _brave_ and _awesome_ and –"

"And ready to smack you if you keep this up," Ladybug cut him off, but he could hear the amusement in her voice as she stepped over him and out of his reach. Her cheeks had taken on a shade of red that had nothing to do with the sunburn she'd gotten while camping. "Just transform, you idiot cat."

"As M'lady commands," Adrien said, smirking as Plagg emerged from his pocket to hover between the two of them.

"Do you two have to be stupid and lovey-dovey _every single time?"_ he wined.

"Excuse me?" Ladybug scoffed, looking over her shoulder and putting her hands on her hips as Adrien sat up and rested his arms on his knees. _"I'm_ the one trying to act like a professional over here!"

"Seriously?" Plagg drawled. _"You're_ the one who didn't have to save the idiot cat's ass in the first place."

Adrien nodded stoically.

"He's got a point. I mean it's almost like…" He let out a theatrical gasp, his hands flying to his cheeks. "Does the beloved heroine of Paris _like_ me?!"

Ladybug rolled her eyes again and turned back to fully face him. She opened her mouth to retort, but her words were drowned out by a shout of alarm from below.

Forcibly reminded of why they were on the rooftop in the first place, Adrien leapt to his feet and cried, "Plagg, _transforme moi!"_

Plagg's final muttering of, _"Idiots"_ faded with the burst of green light that momentarily surged around them, and suddenly Chat Noir stood beside his Lady, flashing her his usual Cheshire grin.

"So, Bugaboo, what exactly are we dealing with?"

"Well…" Ladybug peered over the building's ledge, and Chat followed her gaze to see a tall, elderly man in a tweed patterned suit and homburg hat walking purposefully along the street.

He held a polished wooden cane in his hand, and Chat's ears picked up the sharp _crack_ it made with his every step. For all the world, this man could have simply been enjoying an afternoon stroll in the sunshine, except for the fact that his skin was as pale white as parchment paper, and nearly as translucent.

Before either of them could move, the Akuma caught sight of a couple young men hurrying away from him.

There was a loud _hum_ and Chat felt a sort of static pulse shoot through the air as the Akuma spun his cane and brought it against the ground.

 _CRACK._

Chat Noir gasped as he saw that the two young men suddenly weren't so young anymore.

"This'll teach you!" the Akuma cried. "This'll teach ALL of you! You can't just throw the Sage away because of old age! Not when _everyone_ _else_ is old, too!"

"From what I can tell, this guy didn't get a promotion or something because he's a bit older," Ladybug said beside him, and Chat looked down at her as she tapped her chin thoughtfully. "If I were to guess, I'd say the Akuma is inside the cane. Thoughts?"

"Makes sense to me," Chat nodded as she glanced up at him. "That _does_ look like where his power seems to be coming from. Do you have a plan yet?"

"You go low, I go high?" Ladybug suggested.

"Come from behind? I'll keep his attention," he offered, shooting her a wink before they both dove in opposite directions.

Chat lithely made his way down the side of the building to land on all fours in the middle of the street, several yards from the Sage. He noticed a few civilians peeking out from behind the shop windows on either side of the street.

"Aren't you a little old to be acting so childish?" Chat called, standing up and rolling his shoulders. "I mean, I know they say, 'act the age you feel,' but this seems a little counter intuitive, dontchya think?"

The Sage turned to face him fully.

"I am really, _really_ tired of children telling me what to do," he growled, the grip on his cane tightening.

"Um, rude!" Chat scoffed dramatically, catching a glimpse of his Lady making her way along the roof behind the Akuma.

She was holding what seemed to be a large, elaborate kite. He assumed that must be her Lucky Charm.

"I mean, I think I should get a _little_ more credit," he continued, "for the fact that I know how to file my own taxes, thank you very much."

Before the Akuma could retort, Ladybug flew off the roof. Holding the kite above her head, she brought it down with a cry of "Take that!" and effectively trapped his arms between the fabric and string.

The Sage, however, twirled the cane between his fingers and caught her ankle in its hook.

Ladybug let out a yelp of surprise and tumbled to the ground.

Chat hurried towards her.

"You ok?"

"The Akuma!" she cried, glancing up.

He spun to see the Akuma throwing the kite trap to the side.

The Sage began to swing his cane over his head, and a _hum_ filled the air again.

Chat let out a battle cry and launched himself forward.

Trying to direct his attack, the Sage turned to follow him, but in a fluid motion, Chat flipped into the air, soaring right over the top of the Sage's head and snatching the cane out of his hands.

In another swift motion, he snatched up the kite and thrust it firmly back over the Akuma's head, this time wrapping his arms together with the kite's string.

"A gift for you, M'lady," Chat said, moving towards her and offering her a hand, helping her to her feet.

"Aw!" Ladybug gushed, taking the cane with a dazzling smile. "You shouldn't have, Kitty! It's not even my birthday."

"Anything for you, my dear," Chat swept into a low bow.

Ladybug raised the cane high and brought it down onto her knee, splitting it in half with a loud _snap._

As she caught up the dark butterfly and quickly restored the world to its former normalcy, Chat turned and made his way over to the old man sitting on the ground where the Akuma had just stood. The man was gazing around in confusion until he spotted them. A look of understanding flashed across his face.

"I didn't mean to get so upset," the man said sadly as Chat helped him stand up. "I was just… angry. The company I helped build said they wanted to replace me with someone younger, and I guess I just…"

"I'm so sorry," Chat said gently. "It's not right that they were prepared to just get rid of you like that after all the work you've done to get your company where it is today. Is there any way you could still participate in how things are run?"

The man looked at him thoughtfully before shrugging.

"Eh, we'll see what happens. I'm sure my husband would be thrilled to have me finally considering retirement."

"I hope you can find a way to transition on good terms," Chat offered kindly. "Don't let them bully you into anything, yeah?"

Chuckling, the old man offered Chat a hand and he shook it. "You know, young sir, you're alright . Thank you for helping me out of that vile darkness."

"My pleasure, Monsieur. Good luck."

Ladybug appeared by his shoulder and offered the man his un-Akumatized walking cane, which he took gratefully before turning to go.

"Everything ok?" she asked, looking between the two of them.

"Yeah," Chat said. "I just… I wish we could help more, sometimes."

"I know what you mean," Ladybug said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "But we can't solve _everyone's_ problems."

Just as he heard her earrings give off their tell-tale beep, a small flood of news reporters appeared and quickly approached them, cameras and notepads in hand. A jumble of questions reached Chat Noir's ears.

Before he could open his mouth to respond, Ladybug had stepped forward to address them.

"Sorry to be rude," she said kindly but firmly. "But we really must be going!"

The two of them hurried off, launching into the air and soaring over the crowd until they found a secluded corner a couple blocks away.

Detransforming, Adrien looked around to see Marinette catching Tikki out of midair. The angry lines of her camping trip sunburn were made even more apparent under her navy sundress. Where her spotted suit had hidden the worst of it, these thin straps did not.

"Well, at least _that_ was easy," he said fanning himself in the heat, and she shrugged.

 _"Too_ easy," she muttered, pulling her phone out of her pocket to check the time. "Crap, we totally missed our lunch window. Have you seen Nino and Alya yet?"

"Yeah, they were going to try and get some footage of the fight last I knew."

Plagg was staring at Adrien pointedly, so he began rummaging in his pockets for cheese.

"Did they say where to meet up?" Tikki asked over the bit of pastry Marinette had just fished out for her. "There's still a few minutes before you guys have to head back to work."

"They should be back at the restaurant," Adrien nodded.

Taking Marinette's hand, they hurried out onto the street which was once more filled with people going about their business. They wove their way down the block, and rounding the last corner, they heard a familiar voice calling their names. Looking around, he saw Alya waving them over to where she and Nino stood waiting.

"Are you guys ok?" Nino asked, giving them a sweeping look, searching for injuries.

"We're fine," Marinette smiled. "I just had to save Adrien's butt from getting blasted by the Akuma, but other than that…"

"Oh please, you're the one who fell over." Adrien exchanged an amused glance with her before turning back to their friends. "Did you get any good footage for the Ladyblog?"

"Ohoho, I did better than _that."_

Alya pulled her phone out and Nino let out a huff beside her as she flipped through it to a particular image, holding it out proudly for Adrien and Marinette to see.

"Wait… is _that…?!"_ Marinette gasped and Adrien burst out laughing.

"Man! You got blasted?"

"Ha ha ha," Nino rolled his eyes, crossing his arms indignantly.

Adrien could tell he was fighting to hide a smile.

"Alya, _please_ send that to me," he demanded, grinning as he pulled out his own phone. "This is absolutely going to be your new caller ID picture."

"Done!"

 _"Dude!?"_ Nino exclaimed.

"Don't fight it, babe," Alya patted Nino gently on the arm. "Do you guys still have any time left to grab a bite?"

"No, I'm sorry," Marinette wrapped her arms around Alya's neck apologetically. "I really need to get back to the bakery. The afternoon rush is probably just starting."

"Shall we raincheck, then?" Nino suggested. "We can figure something out for tomorrow?"

"Sounds good to me," Marinette smiled, quickly giving both Alya and Nino a peck on the cheek before taking Adrien's hand. "We'll have more time to catch up then, anyways."

They waved goodbye, and Adrien gave her hand an affectionate squeeze as they headed off in the direction of the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

"How long do you work tonight?" he asked, and she shrugged.

"I'm closing."

"Didn't you open this morning?" Adrien raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah," she sighed. " _And_ I closed last night too."

"Isn't that a bit much?"

Marinette shrugged again. "That's what my parents said too. I'm just trying to get in as many hours as I can before school starts, you know?"

"I guess," Adrien looked at her sideways. "But you look kinda tired. Are you sure you're not pushing it too hard? I'm pretty sure they expect you to go back to school _rested."_

"It's fine," Marinette grinned up at him. "Although I think I'm going to skip patrol tonight, if that's ok?"

"That's fine, Bugaboo. Are we still going to Master Fu's tomorrow?"

"Yeah of course," she nodded. "I have a new shirt for him."

"Tropical?"

"Always."

They paused at the top of a set of stairs leading down to the underground subway system.

Adrien leaned down to give her a quick kiss.

"Be sure to get some good sleep tonight, kay?"

"I'll text you later," Marinette said, giving his hand a squeeze goodbye as she turned to go.

Adrien watched her walk away, admiring how the sun reflecting off her dark hair made it look exceptionally blue for a moment. He smiled to himself before heading down the stairs to find the train that would take him back to his office.

The remainder of Adrien's afternoon was filled with video calls and meetings. By the end of the day, he was thoroughly tired of work. He'd barely gotten to see his friends that afternoon, and he'd been counting on spending a little more time with Marinette than just taking down yet another villain.

He stayed late into the evening, though, enjoying how quiet the building got when the day lights had been turned down and most of the people had left. He cherished times like this when he could actually finish things up without interruption.

The moment he left his office, his feet made his mind up for him. He climbed up a few flights of stairs until he emerged onto the roof.

The night sky was lit up with the orangey glow of the city. A warm breeze ruffled his hair as he breathed in the delicious smell coming from a nearby restaurant.

Plagg flew out from Adrien's shirt pocket and perched on his shoulder.

"So, we're going to the girls' place, huh?" he inquired, and Adrien grinned down at him.

"I think the city can survive without a patrol for one night."

Plagg gave a little whoop of enthusiasm, spiraling off Adrien's shoulder to loop happily through the air.

"Beautiful cheese, here I come!"

Adrien laughed, amused at how much his catty Kwami had grown to love Marinette. As much as Plagg had tried to hide it, justifying his enthusiasm with the excuse of loving the cheese she always had, Adrien could tell how deep his affection for Marinette ran.

He rolled his shoulders before taking a running leap off the roof's ledge. In a burst of light, he landed as Chat Noir on a neighboring building and sprinted off in the direction of Marinette and Alya's apartment, his tail fluttering out behind him.

It only took him several minutes to make his way over the busy roadways and loud street corners where people enjoyed the pleasant evening. Even though the air was cooling off with the absence of the afternoon's blazing sun, by the time he flipped onto the building across from their apartment, he was feeling uncomfortably hot.

Pausing for a moment, he carefully observed his destination through the living room windows.

Alya was pacing in the kitchen, her phone held between her cheek and shoulder while her hands were occupied with a spoon and a pint of ice cream. She let out a laugh, and from what Chat's sharp ears could pick up, she was talking to Nino.

He smiled as his eyes slid over to Marinette's window, which sat open to let in the night air.

She was standing in front of her mirror wearing only some sleep shorts and a sports bra, twisting her arms around uncomfortably to try and reach her back.

Chat tilted his head in confusion until he noticed the bottle of Aloe Vera laying atop the bureau beside her, and suddenly understood what she was trying to do.

Springing across the street, he soared easily through her window. As his boots hit her wooden floor, Marinette let out a yelp and jumped back in surprise.

 _"What the– ?!"_ she exclaimed loudly, stumbling into her bureau with a loud _crash._

Chat was before her in a swift, fluid movement, one hand catching her around her waist to stop her fall, the other pressed over her mouth.

"Shh!" he hissed, grinning. "Alya is still in the kitchen!"

"Mar?" came Alya's voice through the door. "Is everything ok?"

Chat widened his eyes imploringly.

 _"Is_ everything ok, Princess?" he whispered.

Marinette reached up to pull his hand away from her face with a huff, though he was pleased to note that she held onto it, weaving her fingers between his almost unthinkingly.

"I'm good!" Marinette called out. "Just tripped. No worries!"

"Ok, goodnight Ms. Clumsy!"

Chat noticed the kitchen light shining through the crack under in Marinette's turn off.

"Goodnight!" Marinette said distractedly over her shoulder, before turning back to him. "What are you doing here?" she asked softly, raising her eyebrows.

"I missed you," he shrugged.

Marinette let out a dramatic gasp. "Does this mean the beloved hero of Paris _likes_ me?!" she said, making fun of his words from earlier.

Chat was only half successful in stifling his laughter as he dropped his transformation.

Plagg appeared to hover in the air beside them, looking rather expectantly at Marinette.

"Hello Plagg," Marinette smirked, glancing sideways at him. "Let me guess..."

Stepping away from Adrien, she reached for the insulated lunchbox that held a permanent place on her bookshelf.

"Hello!" came another familiar voice, and Adrien turned around to see Tikki perched on one of Marinette's bedposts, happily munching on a cookie that was easily twice her size and already halfway gone.

"How's it going, Tikki?"

Adrien reached over to give her an affectionate pet on the top of her head with his thumb.

"Great," she chirped. "Marinette was just talking about how she wished she could've seen you more today, too."

"Was she, now?"

He grinned, feeling thoroughly pleased at his decision to come over.

Marinette turned towards him away from Plagg, who was already filling his cheeks with a rather odiferous cheese.

"Yeah, yeah, so I missed you too."

She returned his smile, though.

He reached out to cup her cheek again, this time leaning in to brush his mouth against hers. He felt her hum happily against him, but as he trailed his hands gently over her shoulders, she broke away and hissed in pain.

"I'm so sorry!" Adrien threw his hands up in alarm. "I totally forgot!"

"No, no!" Marinette gave him an apologetic look, grabbing his hands and holding them tightly. "You're totally fine!"

"I guess this means minimal cuddling still, huh?"

"Correct," Marinette said, moving gingerly back in front of the mirror and grabbing the Aloe bottle again. "I'm just glad these burns are finally starting to get better."

Adrien thought her use of the term "better" must be very loose in this situation. The lines where her normally pale skin met the deep red of sunburn still stood out in high contrast. Now it looked almost worse than before, as the damaged areas were beginning to blister and peel. He really, truly felt sorry for her.

Despite their best efforts to be responsible with the sunblock during their camping trip, they had spent their last afternoon playing in a river, which must've washed a lot of it off. But where his, Alya's, and Nino's sunburns had already faded into healthy tans, Marinette it seemed would only every transition between the tones of "porcelain ghost" and "cooked lobster," as Nino had put it. None of their burns even hurt anymore, really. It was only poor Marinette who was stuck with the worst of it.

"I just can't – reach – this – one – spot!"

Marinette tried and failed once again to reach an elusive point on her back with her fingers covered in the soothing gel.

Adrien chuckled, reaching out to push her arms down.

"Don't worry, I got your back."

Marinette gave him a grateful smile and moved away from her mirror over to her desk.

As Adrien quickly stripped out of his work clothes down to a t-shirt and briefs, she switched on a small fan near her window. It slowly started to rotate, pulling the cooler air from outside into the warm room. Adrien sighed in relief, enjoying how the temperature was already beginning to drop.

Tikki and Plagg bid them goodnight (mostly Tikki, as Plagg was still stuffing his mouth with cheese) and flew up to the top of Marinette's tall bookcase. She had set up a sort of mini pillow fort in the space between the bookcase and the ceiling; it was their Kwami's favorite place to hide away and get some privacy.

Marinette climbed onto her bed and slumped face down on the mattress, letting out a tired sigh.

"Busy day, huh?" Adrien asked, moving to sit cross-legged beside her and putting a dollop of Aloe on his hands.

"Yep," Marinette grunted her voice muffled through the pillow before she turned her head to look at him. "I've been helping Mom and Dad train the new kid."

She yawned hugely, and Adrien could tell that she was fading fast now that she'd lain down.

"Edmund, right?" Adrien gently traced the skin of her back with the lotion, feeling how much heat the burn areas were giving off and trying his best to be delicate. "How's that going?"

"Mmm," she sighed, reaching out for his free hand and gently tracing the cat tattoo on his forearm, her eyes closing lazily. "It's going fine. He's a fast learner and seems to do really well with the customers."

"Do your parents like him?" he asked, smiling as her warm fingers left tingles on his skin.

"Yeah. I think my Dad is a little disappointed that I won't be around to help with the decorations as much," Marinette sighed, "but I'm sure they'll train him up for all that in no time."

Adrien reached out to put the lotion bottle on the desk and turned off her lamp light. Stretching out his legs, he laid down on his side, facing her.

"I have a hunch that he's more disappointed that you're going to be so wrapped up in your final year that you won't have as much time with them."

"Hmm," Marinette mumbled. "How 'bout you? How was your day?"

"Eh, fine I guess. The usual. I got all the pictures from our trip edited."

"I saw those. I wanna hang some of them up."

"I'll get you some prints this week."

"Mmm. Good."

Her breathing was already slowing to a soft rhythm.

After a moment, Adrien realized she was already asleep. He grinned as he watched her in the soft street light that came in through her curtains, moving his fingers to deftly pull a soft strand of hair from her face and tuck it behind her ear.

"I love you," he whispered, and closing his eyes, he too let himself drift gently out of consciousness.

 _He was in some sort of room. He could barely make out the walls in the darkness. There was no hint of a door or windows. Just endless walls and corners, trapping him in a box. He trailed his hands frantically along the paneling, turning this way and that._

 _There had to be a way out._

 _There had to be an escape._

 _And he only knew, with absolute certainty, that he had to escape._

 _In desperation, he threw his shoulder against one of the walls. He'd rip apart a hole with his bare hands if that's what it took. Again and again and again, he beat at the dark material. Yes, there! The sound of splintering wood met his ears. It was working!_

 _"Adrien, my love."_

 _Adrien froze, his heart jumping into his throat. He knew that voice. He hadn't heard it in nearly a decade, but there was no way he could ever forget. Slowly, hardly daring to believe it, he turned around. There, standing in the middle of the room, illuminated by a strange blue light, was his Mother._

 _"Mom?"_

 _"Adrien, you can hear me?" Her eyes softened as she smiled and raised her arms, welcoming him in. "Oh honey, I've missed you so much."_

 _Adrien ran towards her, stretching his hand out in front of him, trying desperately to reach her. But she never moved closer. As hard as he tried, his feet were not carrying him across the room. He sprinted with all his might, but she only seemed to be moving further away._

 _"Mom!" he cried, his voice feeling raw in his throat. "Mom wait!"_

 _"I love you," she whispered._

 _"Mom please don't go! Don't leave me!"_

 _Adrien's foot landed on nothingness and he lurched forward. There was no floor. He was falling, down, down, down into the endless darkness._

 _"I love you, my son."_

Adrien woke up with a gasp, his eyes blowing wide to take in Marinette's dark room. The fan that sat on her desk slowly turned to blow a soft breeze in his direction.

Beside him, Marinette slept on, her breathing steady, and her lips puckered as she squashed her cheek into her pillow.

Carefully, so as not to wake her, Adrien pushed off the mattress and came to a sitting position, running his hand through his hair. He realized he was trembling. His heart was still pounding from the dream he'd been having moments before. He frowned trying to recall more clearly what had been weaving through his mind.

"It happened again, didn't it?"

Adrien looked up, just barely making out Plagg peering over the top of the bookshelf, his slitted eyes reflecting the soft golden glow from the lights beyond the window.

Ever since their battle with the Puppet Master, Adrien and Plagg had shared the residual effects of absorbing the Akuma's dark energy. Things had gotten much better over time, especially when they both spent more time with Marinette and Tikki. But it was not unusual for them to get a violent nightmare every now and then. And when that happened, linked as he and Plagg were, they would always feel the same darkness. It was a burden they shared, but because they were in it together, they could at least offer each other understanding and solidarity.

Adrien frowned. The dream he'd had was far from the normal night terrors. Usually they had something to do with Hawkmoth or some monstrous Akuma. But this dream had been no Akuma, so why…?

 _'It's the anniversary,'_ he thought suddenly.

They were approaching the anniversary of when his Mother disappeared from his life nearly a decade ago. He'd had dreams about her before, whenever this time of year came around. He supposed it was just another one like those before, but he still didn't understand why Plagg would have sensed anything when it was simply a dream about his Mother.

"What time is it?" Adrien whispered, looking around for Marinette's clock.

"A couple hours till dawn."

"Is Tikki asleep?" Adrien whispered.

"Yeah."

Plagg floated down from the shelf to hover beside him.

"Good. Let's let them rest. I need to run for a bit. _Transforme moi."_

* * *

 **Welcome to the official sequel of 'A Brand New Dawn'! You guys, I've been planning this story for about a year now, and let me tell you I am SO FREAKIN EXCITED to finally begin sharing it with you!**

 **Now, if it's not quite clear, TWHU takes place between Chapters 12 and 13 of ABND. I really wanted to have fun exploring our dorks' relationship while it was still a bit new during that missing year, plus there's a lot I wanted to address regarding... *ahem* other things in the Miraculous universe ;}**

 **As far as this fic goes, I currently have a whopping 16 pages of this story outlined chapter-by-chapter, with several different conclusions I have yet to decide on (but as with ABND, I'm pretty sure the right ending will present itself as I work through the story) so we'll see how that goes. I will try and update fairly regularly, but there's this pesky thing called a "day job" that I am pouring most of my energy into, as well as commissions and other aspects of a busy life, so please forgive any hiatus-type moments in advance! Just know that I'm fully committed to sharing this whole story, and with some much appreciated patience from you all, TWHU will get done eventually!**

 **Thank you everyone who supported ABND and took the time to send in comments! Without you guys, I never would've gotten this far! This one is for you 3**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Marinette leaned against the cool ceramic of her bathroom sink, picking gingerly at the flaking skin along her shoulders. The spattering of freckles along her arms stood out darker than usual against the angry red burns. Biting her lip, she removed a satisfyingly large bit and enjoyed the momentary relief from the itching that had plagued her since the blistering began.

Her eyes wandered to the reflection of the clock that hung on the wall behind her. She and Adrien were to be at Master Fu's for afternoon tea in half an hour.

For years, they had all made it a sort of tradition to meet up once a month for afternoon tea. They often discussed Miraculous lore, as Master Fu deciphered the pages of the Grimoire he'd scanned so long ago. It took a while, as many parts of it were written in all sorts of languages. Originally, Marinette and Adrien had met with Master Fu individually. But since they learned each other's identities, they had combined these meetings to include everyone.

Adrien had texted her earlier about picking her up to walk over there together once he got off work.

Marinette unlocked her phone to look at his message for the dozenth time that day. There was nothing strange about the message itself, but she still frowned down at it in frustration.

She had awoken that morning to find the sheets beside her empty and cool, with Adrien and Plagg nowhere to be seen. It wasn't exactly unusual for them to disappear like that. It only bothered her because she felt she knew the reason why.

In the beginning months of their relationship, Adrien had often woken up in a panic from the violent nightmares. She'd done her best to comfort him and reassure him that all was well. She also hoped that these sorts of nights would fade over time, but while they did become more infrequent, her partner never seemed to be free of them.

After a while, Adrien simply stopped waking her up, trying to pretend that it didn't happen anymore. But in the mornings that followed, it only took one look to tell he was hiding the truth. And though she argued that she wanted to be there for him, he would just calmly insist that she didn't need to lose sleep too.

Sighing, Marinette glanced down to share a knowing look with Tikki, who swam leisurely back and forth through the water pooled in the sink basin, held there by a rubber stopper blocking the drain.

"And Plagg didn't wake you up either?" she asked.

Tikki shook her head.

"I've always hated how stubborn he can be when it comes to things like this."

Marinette nodded, swirling her fingers through the water.

Tikki floated in a slow circle in their wake.

Turning and stretching her arms above her head, Marinette winced a little at the pinching of her sensitive red skin, but otherwise ignored the pain. Wandering into her bedroom, she pondered what might have brought the nightmares on this time. She had begun to work out a sort of pattern; whenever Adrien was particularly exhausted or had spent a long day dealing with his father, a bad night was almost guaranteed to follow.

Though of course when she'd finally proposed this theory to him, he'd only smiled wearily and told her once again to not worry so much.

Stooping down to pull a pair of shorts and a loose t-shirt out of a drawer, she changed out of her pajamas and threw her hair up into a simple knot. Going back into her bathroom, she glanced at the clock again and pulled the stopper out of her sink, pausing briefly to enjoy how Tikki spun around with the water as it whirled down the drain.

Shaking off some droplets, Tikki soared into the air to alight on top of Marinette's head.

"Are you going to talk to him about it?" she asked.

"You know I am," Marinette shrugged. "He has to wear down and talk about it eventually, right?"

Tikki patted her head, but otherwise made no response.

Marinette bit her lip, guessing at the doubt that was running through Tikki's mind. After all, she was trying to ignore those same thoughts herself.

A knock at the front door pulled her out of her contemplation. Grabbing her bag and a wrapped package for Master Fu, Marinette quickly shut off all the lights and moved through the apartment to peer out the peephole.

"Wow, using the front door like an actual civilized human this time?" she teased as she opened it to reveal Adrien standing in the hall, his hands in the pockets of his shorts.

Plagg was hanging from a pair of sunglasses tucked into Adrien's shirt collar, his tiny cat tail twitching with amusement at Marinette's quip.

"I figured having Chat Noir show up outside your window in broad daylight might make your neighbors a little suspicious," Adrien said, grinning.

He moved back to give her room to step out of the apartment and lock the door.

She turned to face him and he bent down to pull her into a hug, softly pressing his mouth to hers before they made their way towards the staircase.

Plagg let go of Adrien's glasses, soaring down to join Tikki in Marinette's bag.

As they exited the building into the blazing sunlight and turned up the street, Marinette looked sideways up at Adrien, noting the dark circles under his eyes. Swiftly, she raised her hand and used her fingers to give him a hard _flick_ on the side of his forehead.

"Ouch!" Adrien jerked away from her, giving her an indignant look and rubbed at the spot she'd hit. "What was _that_ for?!"

Marinette crossed her arms as she continued to walk, her lips pursed.

"You know exactly what that was for. When are you gonna stop pretending that you're not still getting those dreams?"

Adrien shoved his hands back into his pockets and matched her pace. She saw his jaw tighten stubbornly.

"It's nothing."

"No, it's definitely _not_ nothing."

"Marinette, _please_ stop worrying about that."

"No!" Marinette huffed, frowning up at him.

He was trying to avoid her gaze.

Plagg and Tikki looked between the two of them from below.

"Adrien, would you stop trying so hard to carry the whole world on your shoulders all the time? We're partners, we are supposed to be doing that together, remember?"

"I'm dealing with it on my own –"

"Oh, so you and Plagg are just going to keep suffering together in silence, right?" Marinette glanced down to her side, and saw Plagg's expression turn sulky. "No offence, but that's not exactly 'dealing' with it."

Adrien sighed heavily and glanced over at her.

"Mar, listen. I really appreciate you caring about me and Plagg like this. I'm not kidding!" he continued hurriedly, as she raised her eyebrows in doubt. "I mean, both of us really are comforted by the fact that you and Tikki want to help us so bad. It's just…"

"Yeah?" Marinette prompted softly.

Adrien let out another sigh.

"I don't know how to make them stop. And reliving them in the day doesn't really help anything either."

They made their way down a set of concrete stairs into the subway tunnels, where the temperature was pleasantly cooler away from the sun. The Kwamis ducked out of sight as the crowds grew more dense.

Adrien unconsciously tucked his hand into hers out of habit, and pulled her off to the side, a little ways away from the group of people clustered on the main platform. He bent down a little towards her, his voice low.

"If there was some way to make them go away, you know I'd come to you for help first thing. But it seems like this is something that may only go away over time, if ever. And I don't want to spend any more energy or emotion on them than I have to. I just want to keep living life normally, you know?"

Marinette bit her lip, looking up at him with worry.

"I don't like it when you're hurting, though. I want to be able to help you."

"I know," he said, smiling down at her.

Releasing her hand, he pulled her into him, and she wrapped her arms around his waist tightly. As he rested his cheek on top of her head, she enjoyed breathing in his familiar warm scent.

"You do help me, though," he continued. "Just being together is a gift. Spending all the time with you that I can helps more than you could ever know."

Grinning, Marinette tucked her face further into his chest.

"Yeah, I kinda like being around you too, I guess," she said, her voice muffled. She felt Adrien's soft laugh vibrate through her.

They stood like this for a few moments more before a silver train came whooshing into the tunnel. They made their way onto the last car, and embraced again as the doors closed.

Adrien held onto a steadying rail with one arm, and held her close with the other.

Marinette stared out the back window, watching the tracks disappear without really seeing them as her mind ran over what Adrien had said.

Her desire to help him and Plagg had not lessened, but she understood him not wanting to relive the nightmares. And he did have a point; as of yet, there was nothing she could think of to make the dreams actually stop.

Unsure of what to do, and angry that she didn't have the solution to Adrien's problems, Marinette turned her head to gaze up at his face. Standing on her tiptoes and reaching her arms up around his neck, she pulled him into a gentle kiss.

Adrien returned it, smiling, before pulling away a little to rest his forehead against hers.

Marinette looked into his familiar green eyes, watching a mixture of emotions play out in them.

"I love you, _Chaton_ ," she murmured.

"I love you too, Bugaboo."

Their journey to Master Fu's went quickly. It wasn't long before they found themselves standing outside his door.

Adrien knocked while Marinette fanned herself with her hand, feeling sweaty from the sultry weather. The door clicked open to reveal Wayzz hovering at eye level, a wide smile on his tiny green face as he regarded them.

"Welcome friends!" he said happily, laughing when Tikki and Plagg zoomed out of Marinette's bag into the room.

"How are you today, Wayzz?" Marinette asked as she and Adrien followed their Kwamis inside, where it was pleasantly cooler.

"Very well," he declared, closing the door behind them. "I've always liked warm Summer weather like this, you know."

Marinette nodded, remembering well how much he had always expressed his love for the season.

Wayzz quickly joined Tikki and Plagg as they soared around the room, giggling and chatting in a language she couldn't understand. This was standard behavior; the Kwamis tended to keep to themselves when they were all gathered. They preferred to let their Chosen learn more about matters regarding the Miraculous on their own, and only joined the conversation when they absolutely had to.

"Where's Master Fu?" Adrien asked, seating himself upon one of the floor cushions beside the low table.

"I am here," came a familiar voice from the kitchen.

Master Fu came around the corner, smiling and holding a tray with a steaming teapot and three cups. He set them on the table next to a plate of cookies and the large binder full of scanned pages from the Miraculous Grimoire.

"I trust the two of you have been well?"

"Well enough," Marinette said, walking forward and holding out her present to him. "For you, Monsieur."

"Oh how kind!" he exclaimed, grinning wider. Unwrapping it, he let out a pleased laugh. "You know me well, my dear."

He held up the tropical shirt to his shoulders, looking down at the bright swirls of turquoise and deep sea greens.

"Ooh! I like this one!" said Wayzz, landing on his Chosen's shoulder and admiring the material.

"It does bear some resemblance to you, doesn't it?" Master Fu said.

Wayzz nodded, pleased, before jumping into the air again to continue chasing the other two Kwamis around.

Marinette giggled as she sat down beside Adrien.

Master Fu folded the shirt affectionately and set it on top of one of the antique side tables beside the door to his kitchen, then seated himself across from them.

"So, how was the camping trip?"

"Really fun!" Adrien exclaimed, before correcting himself. "Well, mostly. Marinette isn't really one for wilderness."

"It was _fine_ ," Marinette said, rolling her eyes but giving him an honest smile nonetheless. "I'm just not as into backpacking as the rest of you. Plus, I could've done without getting this sunburn."

Adrien nodded sympathetically.

"I hear you two have been busy with more than just your Summer Vacations, though," Master Fu said, dividing the steaming tea into the three cups.

"I guess you could say that," Adrien nodded, reaching out to take one of the cookies. "The Akuma yesterday wasn't too bad though. We actually had a pretty easy time of it."

"Yeah, a little _too_ easy," Marinette said.

Master Fu regarded her curiously.

"What makes you say that?"

Marinette shrugged, taking a sip of tea and enjoying the minty sensation that ran down her throat. For a hot drink in such warm weather, it was oddly refreshing.

"I mean that the last few times we've had to fight an Akuma, it's hardly been any effort at all."

"Do you think it's because you've been improving your skills as a team?" Master Fu asked, sipping at his own tea and watching Tikki swoop down to gather an armful of cookies to bring back to the ornate gramophone where Plagg and Wayzz sat waiting – the same gramophone where, Marinette knew, the other Miraculous gems were hidden.

Shaking her head, Marinette looked from Master Fu to Adrien.

"No, I mean that it really has been _too easy_. Like, there was that whole stretch of time after the Puppet Master's attack last Winter where there wasn't a single Akuma. For _months!_ And then this Summer we've had a few more regular Akumas, but they were all… well, easy."

Adrien's brow furrowed.

"You know, you've got a point," he said. "Like we've always had a weird mixture of Akumas, and some were definitely more dangerous and formidable than others… but yeah, the ones we've taken down lately were just sort of… _blah."_

"It's almost like… like Hawkmoth doesn't really have his heart in it lately, you know?" Marinette said, leaning forward insistently. "Like maybe after all these years of trying to get our Miraculous, the fire has gone out of his fight."

"That may be," Master Fu nodded. "But I find it interesting that he would have chosen now of all times to throw in the towel, as it were."

"I mean do you think there is anything that could have made him stop caring as much?" Marinette asked.

Adrien let out a huff beside her, and when she turned to him she was surprised to find that his expression had grown dark.

"It's like you said, isn't it?" He hunched his shoulders in a protective manner and started leafing absently through the scanned pages of the Grimoire. "The last major Akuma he sent our way was Mathis. It was one of the worst attacks to date. Maybe he was shaken up by the fact that he actually put someone in the hospital. Of course, that would mean assuming that monster has some sense of remorse."

His voice had an edge to it.

Marinette felt her heart clench in her chest. Glancing at Master Fu, who nodded in understanding, she moved closer to put her arm around Adrien.

He had landed on a page depicting the Peafowl Miraculous. It showed a woman brandishing a pair of bladed fans, with a pale blue veil covering her nose and mouth. Beside her was a large image of a jeweled pin.

Adrien was staring down at the illustrations blankly.

Reaching out and tracing the lines with her fingers, Marinette whispered softly to him.

"The nightmares aren't real."

Adrien's jaw clenched. Closing his eyes, he inhaled a deep breath, then turned to look at her. His expression softened and he nodded gratefully.

"I'm sorry," he said, addressing everyone in the room.

From the gramophone, Plagg shot him a meaningful look, but said nothing.

Marinette gave Adrien a slight tug and he straightened up a little again. She kept her arm wrapped around his, though, and softly traced his tattoo as she had done with the drawing of the Peafowl Miraculous.

"We cannot know for sure whether Hawkmoth has lost interest in his battle for your Miraculous," Master Fu continued as though there had been no pause in their discussion. "There are any number of possibilities for why he did not bother to attack for so long, as well as for why he might be sending only sub-par Akumas forth to do his dirty work."

"I just wish we were closer to knowing his true identity," Marinette said, resting an elbow on the table and propping her chin on her hand. "We've been chasing his minions around for ages now, and we're still no closer to finding out more about him."

"Everything happens in its own time," Master Fu said sagely.

The three of them spoke for quite a while longer, moving on to less pressing matters. Adrien and Marinette elaborated on their backpacking tales, showing Master Fu all the pictures.

The Kwamis continued to do their own thing, playing and chatting and soaring around their Chosen's heads.

Several cups of tea later, Marinette deemed they should head out. They still needed to pick up treats from her family's bakery before going to Adrien's apartment, where they would meet Nino and Alya.

"I look forward to our next tea time, young heroes," Master Fu said with a smile as he hugged them both goodbye.

"Absolutely," Marinette said, laughing a little as Wayzz swooped in to give her cheek an affectionate hug.

"Until next time!"

Plagg and Tikki made themselves comfortable in Marinette's purse once again. As the door closed behind them and they made their way down the hall, she laced her fingers with Adrien's and looked up at him.

"Hey," she said, nudging him a little in the side.

"Hm?" he murmured, leading her into the early evening air.

Enormous clouds towered above the city in an azure sky, glowing brilliant pinks and oranges in the light from the setting sun.

"You ok, kitty?" she asked.

Adrien looked down at her, and his expression told her he knew exactly what she was referring to.

"Yeah," he sighed, giving her a gentle smile. "I'm just looking forward to an evening with our friends."

"… Mhmm," she said after a moment, allowing him this change in topic, though not entirely convinced as they moved in the direction of her parent's place.

* * *

"No! NO! Absolutely NOT!" Alya shrieked.

Nino chanced a glance away from the TV to find her rigidly hunched over the controller in her hands, a crazed look in her eyes as she actually snarled.

Her knuckles were white as she rapidly pounded the buttons.

Turning his eyes back to the screen, Nino bit his lip in an effort to smother his laugh.

It had been a long time since he'd first introduced Alya to _Crystalcore,_ a first-person shooter game that they usually played live. She'd been curious when she discovered that he, Adrien, and Marinette all enjoyed it, and he'd enthusiastically invited her to join their team when the four of them were hanging out one night. They'd all been very excited, taking things slow and trying to help show her the ropes. After a few trials though, one thing became very apparent; Alya totally _sucked_ at _Crystalcore_.

It wasn't like she was horrible at all the other games he'd shown her. They would often have fun enjoying a lazy afternoon playing different things, after all. But there was just something about combat games and Alya that did not click. And throw in the heightened unpredictability that came with playing _Crystalcore_ live? Well, that situation had "disaster" written all over it.

"Son of a –!" Alya exclaimed as she was killed for the dozenth time that evening. The tension in her body was released as she slumped back, defeated, against the coffee table that sat in the middle of the living room.

Nino couldn't help it this time. He let out a laugh that quickly earned him a smack on his arm.

"We can play something else, you know," he suggested, keeping his eyes trained forward.

John and Antoine – a couple buddies from his band – were connected and playing as his and Alya's teammates. He'd just witnessed John getting taken out by the enemy member he was presently stalking, and could hear him complaining about it over the headset.

"I'm _not_ going to concede defeat," Alya grumbled, pushing her own headset down to sit on her neck. "And it's not my fault this time, anyways. It's that same guy from last time who keeps singling me out as an ' _easy target.'"_

She raised her hands to put air quotations around the last two words.

"I mean, can you blame him?" he teased, and she smacked him again. "Hey it's _fine_. You don't have to be the best at everything, babe. We were bound to find something that's just not your thing sooner or later."

"Yeah, yeah. Just hurry up and win this round so I can get back in."

"Aaand… done."

Nino turned away from the menu screen that appeared as the mission concluded, having just taken out their last opponent with the help of Antoine. Despite Alya's less-than-stellar gaming, they were still doing fairly well. They had been playing against one particular team all evening, and were tied neck and neck.

Sitting up, he wrapped his arm around Alya's propped up knee and leaned against her affectionately.

"Aren't the love birds supposed to be here already?"

Alya reached over to unlock her phone, which sat on the floor beside her.

"Mar just texted me a bit ago that they're leaving her parent's bakery and should be here soon."

"Yum," Nino said, quickly selecting a few options on the screen before the next loading page opened for their new mission. "Alright then, how about we call this the last round for now? We'll sign on with Adrien and Mar-bear later."

John and Antione murmured their agreement.

"Let's make this last match count, shall we?" Antoine suggested. "Show these guys up once and for all?"

"You got it, man."

Leaning forward, Alya repositioned her headset and inched closer to the TV, muttering something under her breath.

Nino thought he caught the words "show THIS asshole who's the easy target," and he grinned, proud of her for not taking this beating lying down.

The arena loaded, and he recognized the mountains and ruins of the location known as _Alpine Fortress_.

"Let's move, Blue Team."

Antoine quickly took the lead down one hallway.

Alya and Nino moved to flank him.

John disappeared and Nino knew he was going for his preferred strategy of trying to find the high ground and act as sniper.

The goal was simple; the first team to defeat their enemies and "claim" the base for themselves wins. Most of the time, they would play on a mode that allowed respawning at certain checkpoints if you "died." But John had been in a more intense mood that evening and had chosen a livestream that enforced a one-life rule. The upside was that you could be hit multiple times and it was likely that your hit points could keep you alive for a bit longer. The downside was that when you died, you were out until the next mission began.

It wasn't Nino's favorite mode to play on, and he knew Alya detested being put out of commission so much. He only consented because he knew they wouldn't have to play on this mode for long.

The group made their way cautiously through the fortress. John and Antoine were discussing strategy in Nino's ears.

A hint of movement flickered in Alya's screen; the three members of the enemy team were moving along a platform in the distance.

"There!" Alya cried, as John began targeting them from the floor above them.

Nino and Antoine moved closer to the edge of their own platform, assisting in the shooting. One by one, the enemy fell.

"Well done, team!" John declared proudly, his player jumping down to rejoin them. "Just one more target and the game's in the bag."

"Where's the fourth guy, though?" Alya said slowly, panning her camera around from her position at the entrance to an interior hallway.

Suddenly, Nino's half of the screen turned crimson. His controller vibrated alarmingly in his hands, and the word 'ELIMINATED' flashed before him. The game displayed that both John and Antoine were out as well, all three of them killed in a single blow by a grenade from the remaining enemy player.

Antoine swore loudly into Nino's headphones.

"Wait… WAIT! What just happened?!" Alya yelped, frantically trying to find better shelter, having narrowly avoided the attack.

"I…" Nino stared at the screen, processing this sudden turn of events with growing horror. "I think we were all just killed by a grenade."

"What?!" Alya shot up to her knees, her eyes wide in panic. "So that means I'm –"

"That means you're it, babe."

"Holy _crap_. Oh HOLY FU–"

"It's ok! We're ok!"

Nino rose to a crouch next to her, turning back and forth between her and the screen. He had no idea why this time of all times was so tense, but adrenaline was pumping through him nonetheless. His hands hovered towards her, unsure of how to help.

"You just have one guy left! That's it, he's all that's between you and winning –"

"Yeah and it's THAT guy!" Alya cried.

She was right, the only one left to beat was the dude who had been targeting her all night.

Nino's heart sank further.

John and Antoine were shouting encouragements to her.

Alya was still trying to retreat in panic.

Nino could hear her controller shaking violently as the enemy player tried again and again to take her out with grenades, his tiny dot appearing and disappearing on the edge of Alya's map as he chased her.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no, OH NO!"

Alya moved swiftly through the virtual world, leaping over railings and diving from ledge to ledge. Her hit points were shrinking with every explosion.

"Get out of there!" Nino cried, pulling at his hair with worry. "That's a dead end! If you don't get out fast, he'll have you cornered!"

"Ugh! _Enough_ of this!" Alya barked.

The next two seconds happened so fast, Nino could hardly process it.

Alya's scrambling camera movements stopped dead. She whipped around to face the doorway she'd just run through and aimed her gun. The enemy's dot bolted towards her, and as his player rounded the corner Nino saw another grenade flying through the air.

Letting out a cry of rage, Alya began firing.

And then there was stillness.

Nino expected the _Game Over_ page to flash over Alya's side of the screen, but it never came. Instead, the large script displayed WINNER: BLUE TEAM.

"What just happened?" Alya said again, frozen in place.

Nino stared at the screen in disbelief. "I… I think you just… killed that guy."

"I… I did… what?"

"I think you just… won?"

"I won?"

"You WON?!"

Their friends were shouting and cheering so loud Nino thought his eardrums would burst.

"I WON!" Alya's arms shot up in victory as she screamed.

Nino burst out in hysterical laughter when – _WHACK!_ Something small and very hard collided with his head, knocking him back to the ground, his glasses askew. Looking around, he found Alya's controller lying next to him, and Alya herself staring at him with her hands over her mouth in shock.

In Alya's excitement, she'd lost her grip on her controller, and had sent it flying into the air.

"Did you just –?"

"I'm so sorry!" she gasped, trying – and failing – not to laugh at the look on his face as he sat up again. "I didn't mean to, I promise!"

Her apology didn't quite come across as she giggled harder and harder, gasping for breath.

Nino sat there frozen as she doubled over, tears of mirth streaming down her face and fogging up her glasses. A familiar warmth spread through him and left tingles through his fingers.

' _I want to marry this girl.'_

Getting back up on his knees, he lunged forward.

Alya let out a yelp as he tackled her in a hug, both of them laughing as he held her tight.

"Proud of you," he murmured into her warm, curly hair as John and Antoine's shouts of celebration continued to ring through their headphones.

"Thanks," she said softly, laying back on the ground and grinning at him. "I kinda kicked ass, didn't I?"

"When do you _not?"_ a voice said from the door.

Nino looked up to find Marinette and Adrien entering the apartment, carrying a few pizza boxes and a package that he recognized from the Dupain-Chang bakery.

"We ran into the delivery guy outside," Adrien explained, bringing the boxes to the living room and setting them on the coffee table.

"You mean he just trusted you and let you take them?" Alya exclaimed, opening one of the boxes and grabbing a piece of pizza as Nino said goodbye to John and Antoine, signing off of the Live setting. "You could have been anyone!"

"Excuse you, I'm the most trustworthy person ever!" Marinette said indignantly, plopping down onto the couch beside Adrien and snatching up her own slice.

"Well, _we_ know that but 'Delivery Dude' doesn't," Nino offered as Adrien laughed.

Taking a closer look at the pastry box, Nino grinned. The top of it had been claimed by a cartoonish doodle of what Nino could only assume was Marinette's parents waving happily.

"A masterpiece by Tom, I'm guessing?"

Marinette chuckled, nodding. "They say hello."

"Ah, I'm going to miss this," Adrien sighed, leaning further into the cushions and putting his feet up on the table.

"Miss what?" Marinette asked through a mouthful of food.

"This," he repeated, gesturing to the room at large. "Hanging out like this all the time."

"What are you talking about, we'll still hang out," Alya frowned. "School isn't the end of everything."

"Yeah but be real, you guys are _always_ slammed with work," Nino chimed in. "You all really should have worked harder at getting famous immediately after high school like I did."

Alya snorted.

"Eh, I gave the whole fame thing a shot," Adrien said, waving his hand dismissively. "Wasn't my speed."

Marinette shot him a look of amusement.

"Speaking of getting famous," Alya said, turning meaningfully to Nino. "Have you told them yet, babe?"

"Told us what?" Marinette asked, looking between the two of them.

"Well," Nino took a deep breath, beaming. "I just got a call back today from that indie film company."

"Whoa, _what?"_ Adrien leaned forward excitedly. "Did you get it?"

"I got the job! I'm going to be doing the soundtrack for their next movie!"

"Nino! That's amazing!" Marinette squealed.

Alya leaned into him and gave him a kiss on his cheek, leaving a warm tingling behind. He looked down at her, grinning and feeling wonderfully overwhelmed. He had been dreaming of working in film production for years, and now his ambitions were finally coming true.

"Thanks guys. I still can't believe it. I mean this is just a small project, but it could still be my foot in the door to officially working in the film industry."

"Don't forget about us when you make it big, man," Adrien teased.

"Nah, how could I forget the little people?" Nino said, making Marinette giggle. "Actually, are you guys free a couple weeks from now? The guys and I have a gig and it'd be great if you came."

"For sure, man!" Adrien nodded, smiling. "That sounds fun!"

"Oh! By the way, thanks for the pics, Adrien," Alya said, reaching forward and nudging Adrien's foot. "Those were all totally gorgeous!"

Adrien grinned, ducking his head in embarrassment. "Thanks, Alya."

"You're going to be taking that photography class, right?"

"Yeah! I have my first class tomorrow morning."

"That'll be exciting," Marinette said, smiling. "I can't believe we're already going back to it all tomorrow. It feels like this break has just flown by."

"Right?" Alya nodded. "I mean this is my last semester of university! I can't even wrap my mind around that!"

"I know, this will be my last year in my studio," Marinette sighed.

Nino sensed some disappointment in her voice.

"Isn't Meesh supposed to be getting into town soon?" he asked, remembering her friend from class.

"Mhmm," she nodded. "I think she got in earlier this week. I haven't seen her yet, but I will tomorrow morning."

"Tell her from me that we need to get together immediately!" Alya said, gathering up another slice of pizza as Nino began connecting the two additional controllers to the console.

They continued chatting while they played a few rounds of _Crystalcore_ , using a much easier mode that allowed respawning. Alya enthusiastically described her earlier brush with virtual death, and Nino could tell that the win had definitely re-sparked her interest in the game. Marinette's parents had provided a half-dozen chocolate croissants – Alya's favorites – and between the four of them, it didn't take long for the pizzas and pastries to disappear. As the night wound down, the girls decided to head home before it got too late.

"I don't want to oversleep on my last first day of school, after all," Marinette said, looking around for her sandals.

"Why not? Isn't it kind of tradition at this point?" Nino teased.

Marinette threw one of the couch pillows at him while Adrien and Alya snickered.

Grinning, Nino pulled Alya into a kiss.

"Sure you don't want to stay over tonight?" he asked, pressing his forehead against hers.

"I wish I could, but I have to pretend to be a responsible adult for a little bit and try to get a good night's sleep. I have a lot to do tomorrow."

"Aw, fine. But I'm claiming you on Friday for date night, whether your workload agrees or not."

Alya grinned and nodded, pulling him in for one last kiss, and paying no attention to their friends who were having a whispered exchange near the door.

They bade their girls goodnight, Adrien calling "See you soon!" to Marinette before closing the door.

Nino was on the verge of asking if he wanted to do another round of gaming when Adrien let out a great yawn.

"Well, I think I'm going to turn in early too," he said, heading in the direction of his room.

"Seriously?" Nino said, raising an eyebrow. "It's not even that late."

"Yeah, but I mean I should probably get on an early schedule for school, you know how it is."

"Really? The man who constantly stays at work till all hours of the night wants to get on an early schedule?" Nino smirked.

"Yes," Adrien nodded seriously, leaning his head out of his bedroom door. "Yes, I do. It's never too late to turn over a new leaf, right?"

"Yeah, sure," Nino said, snorting as the door closed.

Shaking his head and laughing softly, he plopped back down on the couch and reset his game to single-player mode, amused at how just how subtle his best friend clearly thought he could be.

* * *

Ladybug paced the highest beam of her apartment's rooftop, feeling calm and content as she listened to the city's nightlife.

"I hope I didn't keep M'lady waiting too long?" came a familiar voice from behind her, and she turned with a smile to greet Chat Noir as he padded softly towards her.

"Not too long at all. Alya wanted me to help her pick out a top for tomorrow, but I managed to get out of it quicker than usual by insisting I was dead tired. It helps that I've been working so much, because now there's more truth to it," she said, standing on her toes and reaching her arms up around his neck to pull him down into a kiss.

He hummed against her mouth happily, and she broke off with a laugh as his involuntary purr rumbled through her.

"I'm never gonna get over that, am I?"

"Honestly, _I'm_ still not over it," he said, "and I've had years to come to terms with it."

He straightened up a little, his tail flicking behind him.

Ladybug grinned up at him, enjoying the lights that reflected in his glowing emerald eyes.

"Well, let's get too it then, yeah? I wasn't joking about getting to school early tomorrow."

"Wait, seriously?" Chat let out a snort as they stepped closer to the edge of the roof.

"Hey, I can dream can't I?" she said defensively, giving him a sidelong smirk. "Alright, last one to the top of _la Tour Montparnasse_ pays for the next coffee date."

"You're on, Bugaboo," he said, crouching low to the metal paneling.

In a single motion, they both launched into the air, soaring high above the glittering landscape of Paris, their laughter echoing into the sky as an ocean of cold blue stars winked down at them.

* * *

 **Hello dear readers! I feel I should apologize. When I posted Ch 1, I didn't intend for there to be a 2 month hiatus immediately following it. The last while has been... a rather difficult time for me and my family. Between traveling a lot, two deaths in the family, some traumatic car troubles, and straight up just feeling depressed and stagnant in life with a crummy job... The writing inspiration just hasn't been visiting me much lately. Which is extra frustrating because I'm really excited about this story and really want to share it with you.**

 **Anyways, I'm hoping to get Ch 3 out a little bit sooner, but with everything going on please forgive me if it takes me a while to get this whole fic out. Life happens, ya know?**

 **To everyone who left me comments on Ch 1 and favorited/followed, THANK YOU! You make all this worthwhile! I adore you all! 3**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

A refreshingly cool breeze swirled around Marinette as she made her way through campus. Bright patches of early morning sunlight streamed between the buildings. The only sounds that reached her were enthusiastic twitters from birds soaring around the trees overhead. Adjusting the fully stocked cardboard coffee tray in her hands, she took in a deep breath and grinned.

Today felt like it was going to be a good day.

She'd managed to stay true to the goal she'd shared with Chat Noir the night before; when her alarm had gone off, she'd actually gotten up with it. And even with showering and prepping for the day, she'd ended up with plenty of time to stop by the nearby café and place an order.

"Mar-bear!"

A familiar voice rang out, and looking around Marinette spotted Meesh hurrying towards her, her long dark mohawk trailing behind her in a thick braid.

"Meesh!" Marinette cried, letting out an "Oof!" as her friend barreled into her and wrapped her in a hug. "You're here!"

"How have you been?" Meesh asked, releasing the hug but keeping her arm wrapped through Marinette's as they continued on. "You're here so early, this is so unlike you!"

"Hey! It's a new year, might as well start off on the right foot," Marinette laughed, removing one of the to-go cups from the coffee tray and holding it out. "And I've been great. How are you? How was the move?"

Meesh took the coffee gratefully and shrugged. "Hectic, but alright. I always hate leaving home – and I especially hate leaving Benjamin – but at least it's only for one more year."

"Where's the new place?"

"In one of the neighborhoods on that hill behind the library. You and Alya need to come over soon, I'll make you guys dinner!"

Marinette let out an excited hum at the thought of that. Meesh always brought large bags full of fresh Mexican spices, a gift from her uncle who ran his own company. Food from Meesh was to die for every time.

"I'll let her know! She was asking about you last night."

The two girls continued around the corner and their familiar studio building came into view. Marinette's heart leapt at the sight; after spending countless hours working there over the last three years, it was thrilling to be back once more.

Climbing the stairwell and opening the door to the third floor, Meesh let out a soft, "Yes!" and held out her fist for Marinette to bump. "First ones here, first choice of desk!"

Marinette returned the fist bump, letting out a dramatic sigh.

"Oh, however will we choose?"

"Goodness me, I just don't know!" Meesh exclaimed, walking over to the desk second from the corner window and dumping her bag on it without hesitation.

Marinette laughed, following her and placing her own things on the corner desk, the very same one which she'd claimed as her own the previous year. Turning to look out the window, she placed her hands on her hips and took in the beautiful view. If she was being truthful, it wasn't unusual to see the campus below her as it was now, slowly filling with life and light as the many students began their day; however, it was more common for her to see it from drowsy eyes at the tail end of an all-nighter working. To watch this now feeling so refreshed and charged for the coming day felt very nice indeed.

Going back to Meesh, she grabbed a second large cup out of the coffee tray and perched herself on her stool. They chatted happily, discussing their ideas for the Senior Capstone they would be putting together in their last semester, and wondering what sorts of assignments awaited them in the coming months as their studio slowly filled with fellow classmates.

"Hello ladies," someone said above the growing noise.

They swiveled their stools to see Marinette's favorite instructor approaching them, dressed in elegant black as usual, only her jewelry glittering with color.

"Good morning, Madam Charbonneau," Meesh greeted.

Marinette pulled a third coffee out of the tray and offered it.

"Did you have a good summer?"

"Thank you, my dear," Charbonneau accepted the drink with a smile. "You're too kind. I certainly had a _busy_ summer, but yes it was very good. I hope you are both ready for an exciting final year?"

"Very," Marinette said, while Meesh nodded enthusiastically.

"Excellent!"

Charbonneau grinned, before moving off to greet a few other people.

As she turned back to Meesh to continue their conversation, a figure from across the room caught Marinette's eye; Mathis was setting his bag down at his desk from the previous year.

A twinge of unease passed through Marinette as memories of what he'd done to her months ago came rushing back.

After the fateful Akuma attack that had brought the Student Gala to its horrendous conclusion, everyone had treated the situation the same as all other attacks. Hawkmoth was the one behind everything, and those who were Akumatized were considered as much the victim as anyone else.

But even though Marinette supported this approach wholeheartedly, she still couldn't help but despised Mathis; after all, everything he had done to sabotage her and other students leading up to the Gala had nothing to do with any supervillains.

Adrien had encouraged her to tell her instructors about all Mathis had done, but without any concrete proof, Marinette decided it wouldn't do any good. And since he had gained sympathy for being Akumatized, she might've just come across as spiteful. So instead, she'd kept the truth to herself.

Surprisingly, Mathis had abandoned his usual snide remarks and criticisms after she'd returned to school from the hospital. In fact, he'd made no efforts to interact with her at all.

Thus she, in turn, refrained from acknowledging him, and life had gone on in peace.

As if sensing her thoughts towards him, Mathis looked up and locked eyes on her.

Marinette held his gaze defiantly for a long moment before turning fully back to Meesh, who was in the middle of telling her about a family trip from that summer. Marinette smiled and nodded, as though she'd been listening the whole time. After a moment, she chanced a glance back at Mathis.

He had his back turned to her, and was pinning things up to the wall above his desk.

Taking a deep breath Marinette looked away from him again, deciding to just keep ignoring him as best she could for the rest of the year, before she would finally be free of him for good.

A tall man with shoulder-length brown hair pulled into a ponytail walked through the door just then. Spotting the two of them at their desks, he picked his way over to them, smiling.

"Alec!" Marinette called to him, standing and giving him a hug once he reached them. "How are you? It's so good to see you!"

"It's great to see you guys too!" he said, giving her a squeeze and then hugging Meesh in turn. Pulling a nearby stool over to a neighboring desk, he set his things down. "I've been great! I'll miss sleeping in regularly, but it's good to be back."

Marinette laughed and nodded in agreement, offering him the fourth and final coffee from the tray, which he took enthusiastically.

Alec was from America, and had been one of the top three winners with Meesh and herself at the Gala that previous semester. In the months that followed, they had gotten to know him more and Marinette now considered him a very dear friend.

They continued catching up as the noise level grew and the studio filled with familiar faces. Friends greeted friends who they hadn't seen in months, and the atmosphere hummed with anticipation.

Finally, the instructors gathered on one side of the hall near the wide windows, and Charbonneau called for everyone's attention.

"Welcome, students, welcome!" she addressed them with a nod and a smile as they gathered around to listen. "Welcome to your final year at the Academy! You all have come so far over these last few years, and have grown impressively as designers. This year, we plan to push you more than ever, to stretch you in new directions, and challenge your skills in preparation of launching you into the professional industry. We know what you all are capable of, and we want you to see it for yourselves.

"This semester, we will be doing something a little different," she continued, taking hold of a small box that had been sitting on the desk beside her. It seemed to be full of slips of paper. "While it is often preferable to design on your own, there will be instances when you will have to work closely with another person, or even with a team of fellow designers, on an extensive project. So, for your midterm assignment, we will have you partnered up with a fellow classmate."

A murmur of surprise rose from the students.

"Are they serious?" Meesh hissed to Marinette. "It's our final year! They _can't_ expect us to show our best skills on a _team_ project!"

Marinette frowned and nodded. It had been a long time since she'd had to work on a serious assignment with a partner – or even in a group – and that had only ever been in a traditional classroom setting. She'd never actually _designed_ with anyone else.

"I know for many of you this isn't your first choice," Charbonneau said loudly, reclaiming their attention. The whispers died down and they all looked back at her, albeit warily. "But sometimes in life, you can't always choose to have everything go your way. Many of you will likely have to work under a lead designer, depending on the kind of job you strive towards after graduation. And in those situations, you will have to work closely under _their_ vision. This exercise will give you a taste for collaboration, and allow you the opportunity to figure out how you best cooperate with a partner in a setting where the stakes aren't as high."

As much as Marinette wasn't thrilled by this project, she had to admit that Charbonneau had a point.

"Can't we choose our own partners, Madame Charbonneau?" asked a tall girl standing on Meesh's other side.

"Unfortunately, you may not," Charbonneau said, reaching into the box to shuffle the bits of paper around. Marinette realized the box must be filled with their names. "Just as much as you can't always choose your professional situation, you won't be able to choose who you work with. Collaborating on something with your best friend is one thing; collaborating with someone you have yet to get to know is another. Your midterm deliverables will be a collection of twelve pieces total. Come up with an inspired theme and develop your visions together. Explore one another's strengths and weaknesses, figure out a dynamic that works to your team's advantage. From this point on, you must work together as one."

With that, she pulled out two of the slips and read them aloud. "Antony and Clarissa, you will be our first pair."

The two students smiled nervously at one another.

Marinette noticed most of her fellow classmates still looked a bit apprehensive. Peering around, she imagined that working with any one of these people wouldn't be half bad. There was, of course, a range of talent, but everyone had something to bring to the table, and she could certainly learn a thing or two from whoever she was put with. This might not be such a bad assignment after all.

Charbonneau continued pulling names out of the box, and as they were called, the pairs were shuffling around to stand next to one another.

"Meesh and Alec? You two are together."

Marinette felt a small pang of disappointment as her friends high-fived each other; either Meesh or Alec would have been her top choices for this project.

"Marinette..."

She turned her attention back to Charbonneau with anticipation.

"You and Mathis will be partners this semester."

Meesh and Alec let out a collective gasp. Even a few other students looked around in surprise.

Marinette was rooted to the spot. She stared at Charbonneau, who glanced between her and Mathis, looking slightly concerned.

Mathis, who stood at the opposite side of the class turned his head towards her, and he looked just as shocked as she felt.

 _'Mathis? Freaking_ _Mathis?!_ ' Her stomach felt as if it had decided to exit her body via her feet. ' _No, absolutely not. There is_ no _way.'_

Well, there went her plans of ignoring him for the year.

Charbonneau continued to read the last few names.

Marinette stared at nothing. Thoughts of shouting _"No!",_ of declaring she'd refused to work with him, of demanding a new partner raced across her mind. But she did none of these things, her tongue frozen and heavy in her mouth.

Absently, she heard Charbonneau name off the last pairs, and declare that the rest of their studio time was to be spent collaborating on ideas and researching inspiration. They were allowed to leave the building if they wanted as long as they sent in an email update by the end of the day to show any progress they'd made.

The hall filled with chatter as people broke off to start working.

Mathis didn't move.

Neither did Marinette. She watched him, but his face had gone blank. A hand suddenly wrapped around Marinette's arm and she looked around to find Meesh pulling her back to their desks, Alec trailing behind them looking unsure.

"You need to talk to Charbonneau," Meesh said, releasing Marinette and sitting on her stool. "After everything he did to you? There's no way, no _way_ you can work with him!"

"You think I _want_ to?!" Marinette hissed back, sitting on her own stool and feeling a swell of anxiety twisting her stomach into knots. "I don't want anything to do with him! But –"

"But nothing!" Meesh insisted. "He's the _worst!_ You'll be dragged down for this entire project. C'mon, you know I'm right."

"I mean yeah, this will suck," Marinette conceded. "But… I just… well, if _I_ don't do it, someone else will have to. And isn't it better that I already know all his manipulative tricks? I don't want anyone else to suffer just because I didn't want to deal with him."

"You don't always need to be the hero, Mar," Alec said earnestly.

Marinette let out a snort at that, knowing he had no idea how close to home he'd just hit.

"You're right, no one ever _needs_ to be the hero, but it's still the right thing to do isn't it?" she countered.

"You're too nice for your own good, Mar," he said, shaking his head.

She bit her lip, feeling conflicted.

"I can see the headlines now," Meesh said dramatically. " _'Sweetest Girl In All Of Paris Tries To Do The Right Thing, Ends Up Convicted of Second Degree Murder_.' Sources say she was driven to ultimate violence by the biggest prick this century has ever seen!"

Alec laughed.

Marinette rolled her eyes and was about to shoot back a retort when she heard her name.

"Marinette?"

Turning, she found Mathis approaching them from between the desks. Instantly her guard was up, prepared for whatever snide insults he was going to throw.

But after a moment, he sighed and pushed his hands into his pockets, looking uncomfortable.

"Well, it looks like we're stuck with each other," he said, the muscles in his jaw tense.

"Yeah… looks like it," Marinette said slowly, crossing her arms over her chest. "And I don't know _what_ kind of sabotage you have in mind, Mathis, but I really don't have time for –"

"I'm sorry," he interjected suddenly.

Marinette frowned.

"For what, exactly?" she asked.

Beside her, her friends were doing nothing to hide their eavesdropping. Alec was looking back and forth between them. Meesh was glaring daggers at Mathis.

"You're right. There isn't any time for mind-games or whatever. This is our last year here, and I just want to use it grow as a designer and gain more knowledge and skill." He shifted his weight to one leg, but never broke eye contact. His voice had an earnesty to it that she'd never heard before, though from his mouth it sounded like every word of sincerity was its own torture. "I'm sorry for how last semester went down. I let my temper and old habits get the best of me, and you won that competition fairly."

Marinette tilted her head. Confusion coursed through her. There was no way he was actually, _genuinely_ apologizing… was he?

"Oh, come on!" Meesh burst out. "You can't actually expect us to believe a single word you say!"

Marinette looked over at her, and Meesh shook her head warningly.

"No, I didn't really think you would," Mathis said irritably, a hint of his usual drawl coming back into his voice. "But regardless of whether you believe me or not, I want to do well this semester. And if we _must_ work as a team, it wouldn't really do me any good to sabotage my own partner, would it?"

Marinette knew begrudgingly that he had a point. This was exactly how she imagined any one of them should behave in their situation. Though of course, all of this would require thinking rationally and behaving like an actual, honest human being; things which she'd never really considered Mathis capable of.

"Is there a problem?"

Marinette turned to see Madame Charbonneau watching their conversation, wearing a critical expression.

Mathis looked back at Marinette with an eyebrow raised, as if to say, _'Is_ there a problem?'

Taking in a deep breath, Marinette was silent for a long moment, thinking hard. Finally, she let out a sigh and shook her head.

"No, Madame. We're fine."

Meesh scoffed.

Madam Charbonneau was regarding them closely.

Marinette put on a reassuring smile and said, "It'll be fine. For this project, we'll make it work."

"Very well. Please let me know if this becomes any more trouble."

Charbonneau gave Marinette one last meaningful glance before turning to check on the other pairs of students scattered throughout the studio.

Marinette suddenly had a strong feeling that Charbonneau might understand a bit more about her situation with Mathis than she was letting on. Smiling slightly to herself with this knowledge, she turned back to Mathis and glared up at him.

"Alright, let's not dance around this," she said in clipped tones. "I don't trust you. Not even a little bit. But I do trust that you are a good designer. We are stuck with each other for the time being, whether we like it or not. But we don't need to be friends to make this work, we just need to want to make a good collection and find a way to get along with as little bloodshed as possible."

Mathis regarded her, and she saw a flicker of amusement in his expression.

"Fair enough," he said, offering his hand to her. "Begrudging partners?"

Marinette smirked before taking his hand and giving it one, firm shake.

"Begrudging partners."

Mathis released her hand and made his way back to his desk to collect his bag.

Marinette watched him for a moment before turning to her own desk and gathering up her things.

Meesh and Alec were still looking at her in surprise.

She shrugged, a little defeated.

"It's not like I have much choice," she said.

Meesh sighed. Putting her hand on Marinette's shoulders, she whispered, "Watch him like a damn hawk, Mar. If he tries to pull anything, let us know immediately. He'll never know what hit him."

Marinette smiled at her, grateful to have a friend like Meesh.

The rest of the morning was devoted to inspiration hunting and library research. Both she and Mathis gathered up armfuls of books about everything from historical architecture to sci-fi and space travel, and they claimed a large corner table in the library to pour over them.

They discussed the merits of merging raw, elemental designs with the concept of clean, futuristic lines. They also pondered different types of detailed embroidery, and pairing simple silhouettes with dramatic embellishments.

Every now and then, Mathis would say something rude or insulting that more befitted his character as she knew him, and in those moments Marinette would have to practically sit on her hands to avoid slapping him across his face. But regardless, she had to admit that it was obvious he was actually trying.

Eventually, they found themselves producing sketches based on their themes, and agreed to keep creating concepts until they could meet again in person during their next studio time.

By the end of the long period, Marinette felt unusually exhausted. The emotional tension that came with being around Mathis for such a long time had worn her thin. On any other day, Marinette knew she would've stayed in studio to keep improving their initial designs. But almost unthinkingly, she found herself making her way towards the subway station and boarding a train.

Tikki risked poking her head out of Marinette's bag to look up at her, curious.

Marinette glanced down and shrugged apologetically.

"I know, I just needed to see our guys for a bit."

Tikki grinned.

"You don't need to apologize to me, I understand. This morning was way rougher than you were expecting, huh?"

"Ugh, tell me about it."

Their whispered conversation was cut short as more people boarded the train at the next stop. It wasn't long before Marinette was climbing the steps back into the bright afternoon sunlight.

The Agreste studio offices were set up in one of the larger buildings that inhabited downtown. Inside the entrance hall, the air was cool and conditioned.

Marinette's footsteps clicked on the polished marble floor as she made her way past the receptionist desks. A couple of familiar people greeted her with nods and friendly smiles, and she hurried up the grand staircase to the floor where Adrien's office lived.

She was always surprised by how lively this place was; where the Agreste mansion always felt so cold and solemn, this company buzzed with activity. People hurried past her with stacks of materials or large magazine layout boards. Racks of high couture garments were being wheeled in and out of rooms. Every now and then, Marinette caught sight of an interior photoshoot taking place, the bright lights glowing to rival the sunlight she'd just left outside.

Making her way down several long, bustling halls, she finally rounded the last corner, bringing Adrien's office into view. The floor-to-ceiling glass walls were gently frosted lower down but became clearer and clearer above eye level. She could make out Adrien sitting at his desk with his back to her, gazing out the window where the city stretched before him.

Opening the door, she realized he was on some sort of conference call, speaking into an earpiece.

"Well if we can get her on board for the winter line, I'd say we're in pretty good shape," he was saying.

Marinette quietly put her bag down on top of his own backpack that sat in one of his guest chairs – he must've gotten there from his own morning classes not long ago – then moved around his desk to turn his chair around towards her.

Adrien gave a small start when he felt himself being moved, but shot her a broad smile when he saw her.

Without saying a word, Marinette sat herself onto his lap, snuggling into his chest and burying her face in his neck. She felt him smile against her head as he wrapped his arms around her.

Already, just being close to him was causing her anxieties of the morning to fade away a little.

"Tell her I will come to Toronto myself for a few days if that would make things easier," he continued, not missing a beat. "She shoots dramatic outdoor lighting better than most, and her techniques would be perfect to show off this series."

Marinette fiddled absently with one of his shirt's pockets, sad at the thought of him gone for a few days, but pleased that he would be getting to travel. He always loved assignments that took him places.

"Alright, let me know what she says, and hopefully we can arrange something for October, yeah? Cool, talk to you soon. Bye." Adrien reached a hand up to his ear and clicked off the earpiece. "Hey Bugaboo, what's up?"

"Hey," she said, her voice muffled a little by his shoulder. "Did your classes go well this morning?"

"Yeah, that photography class looks like it's going to be amazing." He gave her a gentle squeeze. "I'm guessing my morning went a little better than yours though, huh?"

Marinette groaned.

"You're never going to believe this," and she launched into a recap of the events in studio.

"Wait, _Mathis?"_ Adrien exclaimed when she got to the part of the name drawing. "You have to be paired up with _Mathis?!"_

"Yup."

"And you can't get swapped with anyone else?"

"Nope."

 _"Why not?!"_

Marinette sighed, and explained how even though it would be uncomfortable, at least she knew what he was capable of.

"Uh, yeah? _Exactly?"_ Adrien said angrily, shifting her off himself a little to look her in the eye. "Don't you think you act heroically enough as it is without making your personal school life suffer too?"

"That's kinda what Alec said," Marinette sighed, rubbing her eyes wearily.

"He's right, you know," Adrien huffed. "Mar, this is the guy who put you in a _coma_. You shouldn't be spending your time with him! It's not safe."

"Adrien, he'd been Akumatized," she sighed. "He would've never been able to do what he did if it wasn't for Hawkmoth –"

"Oh, I'm sorry, is that supposed to make it _better?"_ he shot back. "Every choice he made up until being Akumatized was still all him."

"Your right!" she countered. "Which is why I don't want him working with anyone else! I mean who's better to handle something like this than Ladybug, y'know?"

"So you're just going to step in front of the train on the off-chance that no one else will have to?"

"Well, now you're just making my arguments _for_ me," she teased.

Adrien opened his mouth again, clearly ready to argue further, but was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door.

Turning, they saw Gabriel Agreste standing in the doorway, looking just as stern as always.

Marinette hurriedly climbed off Adrien and stood up straight.

Adrien made no move other than to turn his chair slightly more towards his father.

"Mlle. Dupain-Cheng, what a pleasant surprise," Gabriel said, his low voice cool and collected. "Adrien didn't tell me you would be stopping by today, I would have made reservations for lunch."

"Hello, Monsieur Agreste," she said, smiling nervously. "Adrien didn't know I was coming. I just decided spur of the moment to come and see him."

"I can still call for a reservation if you'd like –"

"There's no need, father," Adrien cut him off.

Marinette glanced down at him and saw that his face had taken on the usual impassive façade she knew he saved primarily for interacting with Gabriel.

"Marinette was just checking in, she has to go to work here shortly."

He looked up at her briefly, and Marinette instantly caught on to his plan of protecting them both from an extended social engagement.

"He's right," she said, adopting an apologetic air and moving to gather her bag off the chair. "I really must be going."

"Before you leave," Gabriel interjected, causing Marinette to freeze uncertainly on her way past him. "I have a small request to make of you."

Marinette looked back at Adrien, who's façade had cracked just enough to allow a small frown through.

"Oh? What sort of request?"

"You are in your final year at the Academy, is that correct?"

"Erm… yes, Monsieur?"

"Well, I will be hosting an event at my home at the end of the month. It is a sort of annual get-together for all my best business partners and designers. A 'thank you for all your hard work' party, if you will."

Marinette tilted her head. She knew of this event; Adrien had told her about it in the past. But he'd also done his best to avoid returning to his old home. Ever since he became a legal adult and moved out on his own, he'd never gone to any of the events his father hosted there, no matter how "mandatory" they seemed.

"Some of the people there are looking for new, talented designers to join their teams in the coming year. Designers like yourself. I have already spoken to a few of them about the skills and professionalism you have demonstrated over the years. They would love to meet you in person."

Marinette had thought all the big surprises for that day were over. But hearing that Gabriel had been talking her up to potential employers had her utterly floored. She stared at him, trying to figure out whether she'd heard correctly.

"Oh, my goodness, th-that is such an honor!" she sputtered, feeling her cheeks going red. "I-I had no idea you were… thank you so much!"

"Yes, well," he said, offering her a small smile. "Adrien has always managed to find an excuse for why he cannot attend this annual party, but perhaps you can convince him that one night away from his duties won't do any harm? Please, I insist."

Marinette fought the urge to let out an incredulous snort. Hearing Adrien's father of all people say that his son needed to forgo work to attend a party was the last thing she'd ever expected to hear in her life. She looked over at Adrien again, unsure of what to say. His father had cornered them quite successfully.

Adrien's shoulders slumped a little in defeat.

"Erm, well… how can we, uh, refuse?" she said finally, turning back to Gabriel and smiling hesitantly.

 _'Seriously… how?'_

* * *

 **YOOOO! Guess who is the Actual Worst, coming at you with a brand spankin' new chapter!**

 **Honestly, I'm so sorry for the hiatus between updates. Let's just say, depression is a real MoFo and for most of December and January when I had actual time to write, I wasn't motivated. And then, February hit, I left my old soul-sucking job, and started working three new jobs all at once! Now I'm down to working two (thank God) with one of them being actual Graphic Design work, so that's awesome! And! I'm planning on moving into a new apartment with some awesome friends here in a couple months, so that's great. I may be crazy busy, but I'm finally feeling happy and energized and like my old self once again!**

 **Anyways, I am thrilled to be writing more, and I already have most of Chapter 4 written! I need to add in a few things and then do an editing read-through, but I'm planning on posting that here in the next few days at least.**

 **Also! I want to give a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has been commenting on this fic, favoriting it, and sending me all those wonderful messages! YOU GUYS ARE THE REAL MVP HERE! Reading the amazing, positive things you had to say was so encouraging and motivating, I don't know how I would've gotten back into the swing of things without you all! So thank you, thank you, a million times over!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The first couple weeks of school had ushered in a gentle change in the weather. Gone was the blazing heat of Summer. Now, the nights were cool, and the days not too warm. The late afternoon sun filtered through the still-green leaves of the trees on the Quad, dappling the ground with soft light.

Adrien let out a massive yawn. He was seated near a tall open window in the campus library. His computer and a couple large textbooks were spread out on the desk before him. Barely into the semester and he'd already managed to collect quite the stack of homework. Plus, he'd been tasked a massive project of working with the CEOs of Valentino to make sure their visions for the upcoming winter shows were catered to. And on top of everything else, his father had insisted he play no small part in the event planning for the evening's party, despite the fact that he was supposed to only be working part-time.

Adrien was worn out.

With a sigh, he hunched back over one of the books, trying to find the line he'd just read so as to get the quote right for his essay. Staring at the page, it took him several moments to realize he'd skimmed right over the line. Giving his head a little shake, he refocused on the words and mouthed them as he typed them out.

He paused again as another yawn took hold, his vision blearing a little. Leaning back in his chair, he looked out the window, watching people make their way up the wide paths. A guy was throwing a frisbee across the open space, and his large dog loped happily after it. A couple people lounged under the towering trees, napping in the grass. Birds were chirping softly high above.

Adrien's hair tickled his forehead in the soft breeze that floated through the window. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling. Maybe he _should_ rest, just for a short break. He was so tired. His breathing slowed to a gentle rhythm.

And all else faded away.

 _He was running._

 _His lungs were burning. The effort of each breath was a fight all on its own._

 _Darkness surrounded him. He stared around, frantically trying to find one tiny pinprick of light. Something. Anything._

 _But there was nothing. An endless horizon of absolute nothing._

 _On he ran. Desperate. There had to be a way out._

 _The darkness was suffocating._

 _He had to escape._

 _"Adrien?"_

 _The voice pierced his heart. He came to a halt, gasping for breath. Turning, he saw her, glowing a soft, deep blue as if the light came from within._

 _The only light he could see in the sea of darkness._

 _His mother._

 _"Mom?"_

 _"My love, can you hear me? I've missed you."_

 _"Mom please, what can I do?" he begged._

 _He tried to move towards her. But his feet stayed put. He couldn't move._

 _The darkness was swallowing him up._

 _"Adrien please come home. Please save me, you must save me!"_

 _"Mom!" he cried, struggling frantically. "Mom what do I do!"_

 _He tried to claw his way forward. She reached out her arms to him, as if to embrace him. But she didn't come closer._

 _"Please Adrien, help me! HELP ME!"_

 _She was screaming._

 _The nothingness was devouring him. He struggled against it, but he couldn't move. He could barely breathe._

 _"Adrien! ADRIEN SAVE ME!"_

 _Her screams echoed like they were in a vast hall. They didn't fade away. They grew and grew, filling the empty space. He was being smothered, crushed under the weight of the oppressive darkness._

 _"No! Mom no! Please!"_

 _The screams built in his head. There was nothing else. Only nothingness and the screaming, screaming, screaming._

 _"No!"_

 _He felt like his skull would shatter from the pressure._

"NO!"

Adrien jerked awake, startled by his own shout. His heart was pounding in his ears, and beads of cold sweat were running down the back of his neck.

Looking around, it took him a moment to regain his bearings. No longer was he surrounded by the oppressive darkness. The soft light coming through the windows felt almost blinding in comparison.

A few people were peeking out at him from around bookshelves and over desk dividers. One of his neighbors muttered, "Dude, it's not even midterms yet. Chill."

Surreptitiously, Plagg poked his head out from one of the small pockets in Adrien's bag.

Adrien glanced at him, knowing they both had felt that darkness.

Reaching his shaking hands up to cover his face, Adrien tried desperately to slow his breathing, which had been coming out in ragged gasps as if he'd just finished battling an Akuma.

 _'It was a dream. It's just another dream. It's not real.'_

A buzzing vibrated through his desk, making him jump.

Looking around, he saw his phone lighting up with an incoming call. Letting out a harsh breath and mentally shaking himself a little, he reached out to pick it up. Marinette's picture filled the screen. He pressed the green button and put the phone to his ear.

"Hey," he said quietly, grimacing a little when his voice had a bit of rasp, as if he really had been screaming.

"Hey," she said, and her voiced echoed weirdly. "I'm just about to jump in the shower and get ready for tonight. I wanted to make sure you were still coming by later to eat some real food before we go over there?"

Adrien realized that she must be on speakerphone in her bathroom.

"Um, yeah. Yeah absolutely, I'll be there."

He pulled the phone away from his ear to check the time. He must've fallen asleep for longer than he'd thought. The shadows in the library had lengthened somewhat. There were only a couple hours until the two of them were expected at the Agreste manor.

"You ok?" he heard Marinette said after a short pause and he returned the phone to his ear.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"No, it's nothing, it's just… I dunno, you sound a little off."

"Hm," he grunted. "I'm fine, I just dozed off without meaning to."

"You haven't been getting enough rest, huh?" she said.

"Uh-uh. Actually, thanks for calling, or else I might've slept right through the party."

"Ugh, and abandoned me to the wolves? How rude."

"I know," he smiled a little, using his free arm to gather up his things and shuffle them into his bag. "Terribly ungentlemanly of me."

"We don't have to go, you know," Marinette offered.

Adrien raised an eyebrow, even though she couldn't see him.

"Oh? And how would we manage that?"

"Well, if you're already tired then you shouldn't push it, especially when we have Nino's gig tomorrow. We could just… say something came up, and stay home and just chill for the night. We'd put on a movie and order in, I could draw, you could take a cat nap… We could just... relax?"

He had to admit, she made something so simple sound incredibly enticing.

"Plagg would love that," he grinned. "But I think we've already committed to tonight. They're officially expecting us, now."

"I'm sorry, Adrien," she sighed, her tone serious.

He frowned.

"For what?"

"I shouldn't have just accepted Monsieur Agreste's request like that without talking with you first."

"You're still worried about that?" Adrien paused in cleaning off his desk. "Please tell me you haven't been beating yourself up about it this whole time?"

"I mean…" Marinette groaned. "Yeah? Kind of? I know how touchy things are between you two, I just didn't know how to… say no."

"He has that sort of effect on people," Adrien said, slinging his bag over his shoulder and setting off between the towering bookcases. "Don't worry about it, Mar. He would've found a way to make me come whether you'd been there or not. He's been putting the pressure on for months."

"I know, but still…"

"I'm not mad at you. It's not your fault," he said gently, a small smile tugging at his lips. "If anything, I'm just glad you'll be with me for it. At least now I'm guaranteed to have one person there that I like to talk to."

"…You sure?"

"Sure that I like to talk to you? Well, I mean I don't think we could've been such good partners all these years if you bored me."

"Ha ha. Very funny, Kitty." He heard a soft rumbling and guessed that she'd just turned on the water. "You know what I meant."

"It's alright, Marinette. You did nothing wrong."

"Kay," she sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, Mar."

"I'm sorr– okay."

"It'll all be fine, alright?"

"Yeah, sorry, it will."

"Marinette!"

"I'm sorry aH! SORRY! I CAN'T MAKE IT STOP!"

Adrien let out a bark of laughter and shot his free hand up to cover his mouth, muffling the noise as he hurried past the reception desks.

A librarian threw him an irritable look at his outburst.

"I'll see you in a bit then?" she asked.

"Yep." He kept smiling despite himself as he pushed open the library doors and made his way down the stone steps. "Let's get this slow torture over with."

The time from when Adrien left campus to the start of the party seemed to fly by. All at once, he found himself dressed in an elegant suit and tie standing beside Marinette in front of his old family home. Taking in a deep breath, he steeled himself to enter the house he hadn't seen the inside of in years.

Marinette reached over to him and wrapped her warm, reassuring fingers between his.

He looked down at her and found that her small encouraging smile gave him the strength he needed to step forward onto the property.

Arm in arm, they made their way into the crowd of guests that stood under the glowing lights that criss-crossed overhead. Adrien thought it made the place seem warmer than he knew it to be. A dozen cocktail tables had been set up throughout the courtyard; waitstaff wearing dark red vests mingled around, carrying trays of everything from drinks to appetizers. Rhythmic melodies wafted from speakers scattered about the garden, controlled by a DJ off in one corner.

Adrien was forcibly reminded of when Nino had been at those exact turntables all those years ago, Akumatized as the Bubbler for his birthday.

The people were dressed in beautiful attire, as one would expect at a party hosted by one of the most highly esteemed fashion designers in the world. While some men wore classic black and white tuxes, many had forgone the traditional in favor of more bold designs with bright colors and patterns. The women were even more splendid, wearing elegant dresses in all the styles and hues one could imagine – and in some cases, even more fabulous suits than the men. Many people danced along to the music. Everyone seemed to be glittering under the lights and stars above.

Marinette let out a soft gasp, and Adrien turned to see her taking it all in with her mouth hanging open in awe.

He grinned as he watched her. If he wasn't so tense about being in this place again, he would've been permanently star-struck by his Lady.

She had pulled her dark hair back into a sleek ponytail. A long silver chain hung around her neck and shimmered with tiny crystals as it traveled down the plunging neckline of her midnight blue dress. Floor length and long sleeved, it clung tightly to her body and flowed down into a short train that brushed along the ground. Her hem was embroidered with thousands of tiny silver stars that mirrored the night sky.

If he was to be perfectly honest, the longer he gazed at her, the less he could remember how to breathe properly.

"How are you feeling?" Marinette said quietly, turning to look at him.

"I'm fine," he shrugged.

"At least this is just for an evening, right?" she offered. "And tomorrow you can _guarantee_ that we'll see people we enjoy, and you won't have to worry about anything else."

Adrien smiled.

"Trying to keep my mind on the positive, huh?" he chided with a smirk.

"Is it working?"

"A little, but now I'm just thinking of how much I'd rather be there _now."_

Marinette rolled her eyes and stood on her tiptoes to give him a swift kiss.

"Well, if it isn't two of my favorite people!" came a rumbling voice, and Adrien looked around to see a tall man with dark skin and long braided hair making his way towards them, beaming.

"Izzy, you're here!" Marinette exclaimed happily, moving forward and releasing Adrien's hand to be drawn into a tight hug.

"Of course!" Izzy said, moving to pull Adrien into a hug as well. "You don't think Monsieur Agreste would neglect to invite his best material supplier, would you?"

"He'd be _mad_ if he did," Adrien said, relaxing a bit more in the presence of a familiar friend.

"So, how's that new design project coming along, Mar?" Izzy asked. "Do you have a murder on your hands yet?"

Marinette let out a strangled noise, throwing her hands up in the air dramatically.

"Oh no, don't get her started Izzy," Adrien chuckled, reaching his arm around her shoulders.

"It's absolutely ridiculous!" she exclaimed. "He's behaving better than I think he ever has, but that's not saying much. He's still an absolute ass, and I hate that he's such a good designer, because half the time just being _near_ him makes me want to smack him!"

"Ah, so the fact that no one is dead yet in this situation means it's going well, hm?" someone asked, and they turned to see one of Adrien's work partners, Zacharias, coming their way while balancing four glasses of champagne for them.

"I mean, we've made it further than I thought we would without me throwing my pincushion at him, so yeah I think it's going alright," Marinette laughed, taking one of the glasses from him and standing on tiptoes to place a swift kiss on his cheek.

Ever since Adrien and Marinette had started dating, she and Zacharias had gotten along swimmingly, and would often share their designs with one another for feedback.

Taking his own drink from his friend, Adrien tilted his head back and downed it all in one swig. He put the empty glass on the tray of a waiter that was floating by while simultaneously grabbing another. Turning back to the conversation, he caught Marinette's eye. Her eyebrow twitched ever so slightly, and he picked up on her concern. Nodding apologetically, he sipped more slowly at the second champagne.

"Señor Adrien!" someone called out.

Looking up, Adrien saw Valentino's CEO, his assistant, and several executive editors making their way towards him. His stomach plummeted as he moved forward to greet them. It was _their_ project that had been causing him more stress at work than he'd had to deal with in quite some time.

He had not been aware they would be attending his father's party.

"How wonderful to see you all," Adrien said welcomingly, putting on as natural an air as possible. "It is an honor to have you all visiting this weekend."

"The pleasure is all ours, my dear boy," one of the editors said, flashing him a smile. "We wouldn't miss meeting with you in person after you have put so much work into our account."

"You give me too much credit, Madame," Adrien offered her a nod, before turning to reach for Marinette's hand and pulling her into the conversation. Marinette was the only one who caught sight of the mildly panicked look he flashed her before turning back to the group.

"May I introduce my partner, Marinette Dupain-Cheng?" he said, wrapping his arm around her waist, more for her stable support than anything else. "She is in her final year at the International Fashion Academy."

Marinette accepted the hand of the CEO, who put it to his lips for a swift kiss.

"Delighted, Señorita," he said. "I am sure we are all looking forward to seeing the work you will produce. Anyone whom Señor Agreste approves of _must_ be an exceptional talent."

"Th-thank you very much!" Marinette stammered.

Adrien saw that her cheeks had gone bright red. Catching her eye, he grinned.

"Now Adrien," the CEO continued. "I do hope you will join us tomorrow morning for a meeting? I believe it would be incredibly valuable to go over some of these plans with you in person."

"Oh…" Adrien was rather taken aback by this. He usually made a point to avoid working on weekends if he could help it – there were already more than enough commitments on his plate without it – but there would be no way out of this.

"Of course," he said, quickly reattaching his smile. "I would be entirely pleased to make some time for you."

"Excellent," the CEO nodded approvingly and held his hand out for Adrien to shake once more. "Then we shall see you in the morning. Enjoy the rest of your evening, Señor Agreste."

"You as well," Adrien bowed a little as the group carried on to another table.

"I will send the schedule your way immediately, Señor Agreste," the assistant said as she trailed after them.

Turning back to Marinette, Adrien groaned and lowered his head pathetically onto her shoulder.

"Feeling a little sorry for ourselves, are we?" she asked, and he could hear the amusement in her tone.

 _"Extremely,"_ he said, his own voice becoming muffled as he leaned into her. "Nothing like taking an already busy weekend and replacing any time I had to sleep in with _work_ _meetings."_

"Is there anything I can help with?" Zacharias offered.

Adrien shrugged, lifting his head away from Marinette to glance at him.

"I doubt it. They have all been very particular about wanting me exclusively, though who the hell knows why."

"It's because you're _good,"_ Marinette said, grinning up.

 _"Zacharias_ is good," Adrien grumbled.

"Yeah, but you have the _name_ to go with it," Zacharias pointed out.

Adrien turned to him with a small frown, but he knew that Zacharias was right.

They had spoken openly about this before. There had been a time when Zacharias had resented Adrien for the privilege that came with the reputation of his namesake. But over their years of working together, Adrien had made it clear how much he refused to use his father's power for anything. He had also pushed the hardest for Zacharias to get into his current higher position in the Agreste company, and as they had gotten to know each other and work together, they had become good friends.

If Adrien had his way, he would turn any and all of his power within the company to Zacharias. _He_ certainly had earned it.

"Oh, cheer up, Adrien," Izzy said, patting him heartily on the back. "It'll only be a few hours of meetings. You don't have to worry about it like you're saving the world or anything."

"You're right, that's just my _night_ job," Adrien said, and they all laughed.

He exchanged the briefest of smirks with Marinette. Oh, if only they knew…

The four of them found their way to a corner of the courtyard and continued discussing Marinette's semester assignment, enjoying the various appetizers that came their way. From time to time, people that Adrien and Zacharias had worked with on various projects came up to say hello.

Adrien was feeling significantly calmer. If the evening was to consist mostly of making conversation with people he genuinely liked, he began to hope that the party might not be so uncomfortable as he'd been dreading.

"Good evening, Adrien," someone said behind him, and he turned to find his father's assistant, Nathalie, looking as prim and professional as ever.

"Hello Nathalie," he replied, offering her a smile. "Everything is going well, I trust?"

"As well as it can," she said, nodding. "I wanted to inform you that dinner is about to begin in the main banquet hall for those in higher standings with the company. I must go and check in on the head chef to confirm that we are ready to proceed. Your father is presently in a meeting with some of the executives."

"Business as usual," Adrien sighed.

It was another element of his father's events that he'd always hated; the "higher-ups" would dine with his father on obscenely expensive cuisine, while all the other guests were left outside to their party. It was just another way to sew division. Though on some level, he could never really decide which group of guests had the true short end of the stick.

"Indeed," Nathalie continued, unphased by his tone. "Would you please go to his office and let him know that he must be in the banquet hall to welcome the rest of his guests with an opening toast soon?"

Adrien's jaw clenched with a slight pang of irritation. He'd been hoping to keep the interactions with his father to a minimum. All the tension that had been ebbing away with the help of Marinette and their friends came rushing back to him. But instead of letting it show, he simply nodded to Nathalie.

"I will inform him shortly," he said.

Nathalie nodded, and turned to disappear through the sea of guests.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Marinette said softly, putting her hand on his shoulder.

Adrien shook his head. Wrapping his own hand around hers, he kissed her fingers gently.

"No, it's ok," he said. "You keep catching up with Izzy and Zacharias. I won't be long."

"Alright," she said, giving his fingers a squeeze before letting him go.

Adrien wove his way through the party and climbed the stairs up to the large front doors, which stood open. Inside was filled with nearly as many people as there were outside. Glancing around the entrance hall, he noticed that nothing much had changed since he'd moved out. He had refrained from stepping foot in this place ever since, considering it a freedom to be rid of the confining walls and enforced solitude of his boyhood. Being back now brought on a flood of long-buried memories, and he shook his head a little to clear his mind.

He beelined towards the doors of his father's study. Knocking softly, he turned one of the knobs and stepped inside.

Gabriel was pouring over his desks with a handful of the company executives. All of them were dressed as splendidly as the party-goers outside. One of them was talking about something to do with how the Fall Collection was being received.

Adrien cleared his throat loudly, causing them all to look up. "

I'm terribly sorry to interrupt," he said formally, putting on an apologetic smile. "I wanted to inform you all that dinner is about to begin."

"Thank you, dear Adrien!" said one of the women whom Adrien recognized from the long years she and his father had worked together. "You are very right to pull us away. This evening is about letting loose a bit and celebrating, after all!"

Everyone murmured their agreement, thanking Adrien as they moved towards the door. Some shook his hand or kissed his cheeks in greeting.

Gabriel was the only one who remained in place, watching him.

"Father, Nathalie just asked me to remind you of the welcoming toast you are supposed to give."

"Thank you, Adrien," his father said, gathering everything up off his desk and storing it away. "I appreciate you coming to tell me. Somehow the evening has grown later than I'd realized."

Adrien nodded, but as he turned to leave, he caught sight of the Miraculous Grimoire sitting on one of the smaller tables. He paused, staring at it, and wondered for the umpteenth time where _exactly_ his father had gotten ahold of it. He had always suspected if Gabriel had any real knowledge of the true powers it held within.

Gabriel followed his gaze and moved to pick up the book.

"I trust you and Mlle. Dupain-Cheng are enjoying yourselves?" he asked, moving across the office to the Gustav Klimt style portrait of Adrien's mother, and pulling it forward to access the safe hidden behind.

"Yes, it seems everyone is having a good time." Adrien followed his father slowly, watching while he entered the code to the safe. "It's nice to see the house so full of life again."

"Yes, well…" Gabriel sighed, opening the safe door and placing the book and several other documents onto its shelves, beside a photograph of Adrien's mother. "It's still a lot of work to try and please so many people. I find it rather exhausting to be honest, but I suppose it's necessary to keep the company happy."

Adrien grunted noncommittally in response, and was turning to leave once again when a flash of blue within the safe caught his eye. He shot out his arm, blocking his father from closing the door.

Gabriel looked him in mild curiosity, but Adrien ignored him.

It had been years since he'd seen inside the safe for himself. When he was a boy, he'd had no reason to find the small jeweled peacock significant… but he _knew_ that jewel, now. He'd just seen it while leafing through Master Fu's copy of the Grimoire a few weeks earlier. Made out of turquoise and azure glass, the jewel reflected the lights in a way that made it seem almost alive. Almost magical. And all at once, Adrien knew exactly what it was.

His father was in possession of the Peafowl Miraculous.

Adrien stared at it in utter amazement. It was impossible. How on earth could _his father_ of all people have something so precious? So _dangerous?_

Without thinking, Adrien reached out his hand and lifted the Miraculous off the shelf. It was strangely warm for something that had been sitting unhandled in a cold safe.

"It was your mother's," Gabriel said, his voice making Adrien look up in surprise. Gabriel was watching him closely, his expression guarded and unreadable. "She left it behind when she… when she disappeared."

"Where did she get this?" Adrien asked uncertainly.

Did his father know of it's true power? Had his _mother_ known? Was it really possible that his mother had been, like himself, a Miraculous wielder?

"Tibet," Gabriel said. "In the same place I got my book of… inspiration."

Adrien glanced at the Grimoire. Beside it lay a stack of travel documents he hadn't noticed before, as well as a book on traveling through Tibet.

"Apparently, it is an ancient Chinese artifact. One of a kind and very, _very_ valuable. It was one of your mother's greatest treasures."

"But she didn't take it with her when she… left?"

Gabriel pondered him.

Adrien looked back at him searchingly.

After a long moment, Gabriel sighed and held his hand out for the Miraculous.

Adrien hesitated. He _knew_ that he should get the jewel back to Master Fu as soon as possible, restoring it to the safe care and protection of the Guardian. But he couldn't just _take_ it from his father. Something that had been so dear to his mother would never be relinquished easily, and to steal it would raise all kinds of concern and attention…

Finally, after what felt like a moment of eternity, he released his hold on the Miraculous, and Gabriel returned it to the safe.

Locking the door and repositioning the large painting to hide it, Gabriel took a step back to look up into Adrien's mother's eyes.

Adrien stood beside him, regarding the painting as well.

"When Emilie disappeared, it was the most painful day of my life," Gabriel said suddenly.

Adrien looked around at his father in astonishment; it had been years since he'd heard his mother's name spoken out loud.

"It was… as if she'd taken half of my heart, half of my very _soul_ with her. I didn't know where to go, what to do… I…"

He paused, unable to make the words come to him.

Adrien hadn't seen his father like this since he was a child. It was like the cold and aloof demeanor had suddenly cracked, and he could actually catch a glimpse of the man his father used to be. For that brief moment, he felt the urge to comfort his father in the same way he'd wished _anyone_ had comforted _him_ when he'd been in pain all those years ago.

Reaching his hand up, he placed it hesitantly on his father's shoulder.

"I've done everything in my power to… find her." Gabriel continued. "To bring her back home, for both our sakes. But every time I get close to the answer, it's _stolen away."_

His hands balled into fists as he said this, and suddenly the aching sadness was replaced with an incredible fury that caused Adrien to actually step back, flinching his hand away from his father as though he'd been burned.

A strange energy hung in the air, a darkness that made Adrien feel like he was back inside one of his nightmares.

The screams of his mother echoed through his mind.

All at once, the atmosphere around his father had shifted, and any hint of emotion from what they had been speaking of vanished. Gone was any shadow of the father Adrien had spent so much of his life longing for. He was Monsieur Gabriel Agreste once again, as cold and rigid as the polished marble that filled the mansion in which they stood.

"Enough of this, Adrien," Gabriel said, his voice hard as he turned to leave his office. "We have a party to attend."

He stopped and waited by the large doors, holding them open.

After a moment, Adrien followed him, his mind racing. But just as he stepped past his father, he heard a disturbance halfway down the grand staircase. Security was converging on several guests that were harassing a mortified looking waiter. One of them had his fist clenched on the waiter's shirt collar.

Gabriel stiffened.

Looking at him, Adrien saw a strange gleam come into his father's eyes. It sent a chill down his spine.

"Please inform Nathalie that I will be with our guests shortly," Gabriel said, a strange note in his voice. "There is one last thing I must attend to… it should not take long, I'm sure, and the guests are well enough entertained without me there for another moment or two."

And with that, Gabriel swept back into his office and shut the doors with a snap, leaving Adrien outside.

Taking a deep breath, he shook his head and turned to find Marinette waiting just inside the large entrance doors, looking unsure.

When she spotted him, she smiled with relief and hurried to his side.

"I didn't really know what I was supposed to do," she said, wrapping her arm through his. "Some people were moving into the banquette hall, some were staying outside, I dunno. Zacharias introduced me to a few of those lead designers your father was talking about, so that's exciting! I was more nervous than I thought I'd be, though. They said they would keep an eye on me and my work this year, like _that's_ more pressure I need right now… Hey..."

She paused her nervous rambling finally to peer up at him. "You look even more stressed out than before. Like you've seen a ghost or something… Are you ok?"

"I… I don't know," he said, staring unseeingly out into the crowd of guests in the courtyard.

He had no idea _what_ to feel.

"What happened in there?" Marinette asked, serious now.

But before he could answer, they were shoved to the side by the boisterous group from the stairs who were being ushered outside by security. One of them – a sour man Adrien recognized as an agent from past photoshoots – was dabbing a handkerchief to a dark wine-red stain that was blossoming over his pale, snakeskin patterned vest. He seemed rather tipsy as he loudly exclaiming something about "… the _audacity_ of it all, they should fire that imbecilic waiter on the spot!"

Marinette threw a frown at the man, but otherwise ignored them, pulling Adrien out of their way. They were now in one of the hall's corners, hidden behind a tall marble pillar.

Adrien leaned against it.

"Ok, now tell me," Marinette demanded, her hands holding his face gently as she gazed up at him in concern.

"I… I don't even know where to begin…" Adrien's mind was still reeling. "Marinette, listen… you're never gonna believe this but –"

A piercing scream from just outside cut him off.

They both whipped their heads around to stare in the direction of the doors. There were shouts of confusing coming from the courtyard, and then another scream came. And another.

Exchanging glances, Adrien and Marinette rushed out from behind the pillar and hurried to the double doors to look out over the courtyard.

The scene that met them was utter chaos.

Guests were running and crying out in terror. Several cocktail tables had been knocked over. A throng had gathered at the front gate as people tried desperately to get off the Agreste premises, away from an Akuma that was laughing drunkenly in the midst of it all.

Adrien, having just witnessed the scene inside, recognized the agent that had been escorted out by security moments before.

The man – though he could hardly be called that now – had grown to be several feet taller, his legs fused together and elongated into the horrible, pale white body of a giant snake. Wine-red scales made patterns down to the tip of his tail. He still had the use of his arms, though his head had grown a cobra's hood, and his face stretched into a wide, flat snout.

"You can run, but you can't hide from the Beau Constrictor!" the Akuma said, laughing again as he lashed out at the people sprinting past him. There was an undercurrent of hissing with every word he spoke.

Adrien and Marinette exchanged a swift nod.

Marinette rush off, soaring lithely over the railing of the front steps to find, as Adrien knew, a place to transform.

Adrien stayed where he was.

"Everyone inside, NOW!" he shouted, pulling one of the heavy entrance doors closed with a _boom_ and ushering the nearest guests into the hall through the other. "Take cover! Get out of range!"

People followed his instructions without hesitation. Those nearest to him raced up the steps to hurry inside. Others sprinted around the corners of the mansion. He hoped they would have enough sense to find refuge through the side doors below.

His shouts had earned the Akuma's attention, and Adrien narrowed his eyes as he searched for where the vile butterfly might have lodged itself… _There._ The vest the man had been futilely trying to rid of the spilled wine was still donned over his torso.

The Akuma's tail flashed forward and snatched up one of the guests, who shrieked in fright. He began coiling himself tightly around her body. In the span of half a second, he had her bound.

Adrien watched in horror, unable to move fast enough to save her as the creature unhinged his jaw to reveal razor sharp fangs, preparing to bite.

"Hey!" Adrien heard a familiar voice shout, and looking around, he saw Ladybug swing into the courtyard and land upon the DJ's platform. "This is a _private_ party, and I'm fairly certain they wouldn't add a slimy, overgrown reptile to the list!"

"Don't you know?" the Beau Constrictor hissed, lowering his victim as he turned. "Insects are a main food source for snakes."

"Well, I plan to be _nobody's_ meal tonight," Ladybug retorted, launching herself forward to prevent the snake from biting any more people.

Adrien turned away from the fight then, hurrying down the stone steps to dive behind one of the thick shrubberies that lined the edge of the property.

"Let's do this Plagg," he said as his Kwami emerged from an inner jacket pocket to hover before him.

"Does this mean no more party hors d'oeuvres?" Plagg asked grumpily, but Adrien ignored his quip.

 _"Transforme moi!"_

The electric current coursed along his skin, and in a flash of green light, Chat Noir leapt out of hiding. He could not afford to give more thought to what he'd just seen in his father's office. He had to focus on what was happening _now._

Drawing his staff into his hands, he sped across the courtyard.

Ladybug was swinging around the Akuma, staying just out of his reach as he thrashed around to catch her. His massive tail had collided with one of the outer walls, creating enormous cracks along the stone.

"Mind if I _slither_ in?" Chat called.

Wielding his staff in a great arc above his head, he brought it down with a sharp _crack_ on the serpent's tail.

The Akuma howled in pain.

Chat dove out of the way as the Akuma bared his fangs and struck at him, lightning fast. He missed him by inches.

"Sir, why don't we just try to calm down?" Chat called, finally cracking a smile as he rolled to his feet and took another shot at the monster. "Let's not ruin such a lovely evening! How's about we just k- _hiss_ and make up, huh?"

Letting out a snarl of rage, the Beau Constrictor finally snatched hold of Ladybug's arm.

She let out a yelp of pain as he twisted and launched her towards the trunk of a tree. Before the collision, she managed to catch onto one of the tree's branches.

"Now now, no need to throw a _hissy_ fit!" Chat quipped as he flew towards the Akuma and managed to land a satisfying hit on his jaw.

Spitting angrily, the Akuma reeled from the pain, his tail whipping around.

"Scum!" the Beau Constrictor hissed bitterly as Chat landed beside Ladybug. "I don't know what I expected from a couple pathetic idiots who waste all their time defending the most worthless people of Paris."

"Nobody is worthless," Ladybug called, her yo-yo whirring as she paced towards him. "No one deserves to be taken advantage of!"

Chat flanked around to the other side, watching for her to give a signal.

"On the contrary, _pest,"_ the Akuma snarled. "Some people just aren't made to have power. They are made to _serve_ those with power. If there were no one beneath me, the system would fall apart."

"Yeah, _your_ system of _suppression,"_ she snapped, and Chat heard genuine irritation in her tone. "Monsieur, I think you need to take a long, hard look at who you consider to be beneath you. Because from where I'm standing, someone who takes pleasure in hurting others is right there at the bottom of the barrel."

"Then for now, I'll just take my pleasure in hurting _you,"_ he said, slithering towards her, his revolting mouth curving into a smile that made Chat's skin crawl. "And maybe later, I'm sure there are _other_ ways I can get my pleasure."

"That's disgusting," Chat said, gagging. "I swear, the way men behave these days to make up for their _ereptile_ dysfunction is just pathetic."

Ladybug shot an amused look in his direction.

"Come on, _chaton_ ," she called, rolling her eyes. "Let's just skin this snake and move on with our evening, shall we?"

"With pleasure! Oh no, he really ruined that word for me now…"

Shuddering, Chat sped forward, dodging around the massive tail to reach for the cursed vest.

The Beau Constrictor twisted out of his reach, snapping his fangs at him.

Chat deflected the bite with a kick. He rebounded and whirled through the air before landing on the cobblestone.

A flash of glowing blue caught his eye as he turned back around to face the monster. Whipping his head around in surprise, though, he saw nothing.

 _'Strange,'_ he thought, frowning as he turned back to the fight. _'I could've sworn I saw –'_

"Chat, look out!" Ladybug cried.

Once more, he dove to the side just in time, the Akuma's razer teeth barely missing him.

He reeled back, shaking his head to rid it of whatever he thought he'd seen.

Ladybug flung her yo-yo out and managed to wrap it around the Akuma's wrist. She yanked him towards her, using the force of his momentum to land a fresh blow across his wretched face.

He retaliated quickly. Before she could dodge away, his scaly tail slammed her in the chest. She landed flat on her back, winded.

Chat winced on her behalf. Using his staff, he blocked the tail from hitting her a second time.

" _Snake_ it off, M'lady," Chat called as he danced out of the Akuma's way, leading him further from where she was struggling to her feet.

She shot him a withering glare.

"Seriously?!" she wheezed.

"Oh please, that was _hisss-_ terical and you know it."

"Just focus on the Akuma!"

Allowing himself a smirk, he quickly chose another point to target, hoping to give Ladybug the in she needed to snatch up the vest.

The Beau Constrictor lunged at him.

Chat raised his staff, blocking the Akuma's bite. His fangs glanced off the metal with a _clang._ Driving the end of the staff into the ground, Chat swung up and kicked at the Akuma's shoulder.

He dodged and landed a hit to Chat's ribs.

Chat grimaced, retaliating with his own quick jab, holding the Akuma's attention.

Seeing what he was doing, Ladybug rallied herself and took a running leap forward. She landed on the Akuma's back, holding on tight as he thrashed around in frustration. He tried to grab her and throw her off, but she dodged away.

Chat crouched down, preparing to spring.

 _"Adrien…"_ a familiar voice whispered, right behind him.

"Ah!" Chat let out a yelp, twisting around in shock.

No one was there.

Eyes wide, he gazed around the courtyard. He _knew_ that voice… the voice which had been haunting his dreams… his _nightmares_ … it couldn't be possible.

"Chat Noir! Are you alright?" Ladybug called to him, flashing him a look of concern as she tried to strongarm the Beau Constrictor from behind with her yo-yo.

Chat shook his head again, trying to clear his mind. A cold sweat had broken out along his skin, and his heart pounded in his chest.

"I – I'm fine!" he called, not entirely convincingly.

He had no time for this. He needed to focus.

As he stepped forward, a piercing scream reached his ears. He froze, a chill running down his spine as it echoed around him. Shadows blurred at the edges of his vision, and he blinked hard, trying to drive them away.

 _'What's happening…?'_

He stumbled, trying to focus on the Akuma before him.

 _"Adrien, save me!"_

The voice rang so loudly that he brought his hands up to clench his head. A sharp pain jolted along his knees, and distantly he knew he was no longer standing.

 _The shadows had engulfed his vision, drowning out everything else around him._

 _"Please, Adrien! The darkness… it's too strong!"_

 _The screaming echoed around him, as if it came from every direction._

 _And suddenly, there she was. Standing before him, surrounded by that brilliant blue glow._

 _'This isn't real,'_ he thought desperately. _'This is just another nightmare, you aren't here!'_

"Chat, what's wrong?!"

 _"Help me, Adrien! I can't escape on my own!"_

 _His mother looked though she were engulfed in blue flames. They licked around her, caressing her skin as she dissolved away into the shadows._

 _"Save me!"_

 _Her screams grew louder and louder as she was pulled away._

 _He squoze his eyes shut, willing the reverberations to stop. Every bone in his body felt as if they were shattering._

"Chat Noir, I need your help! What are you doing?!"

 _The darkness pressed in on him, impenetrable. He was suffocating._

 _"Adrien!"_

 _The noise was too much. He would die at any moment._

"CHAT!"

 _"ADRIEN!"_

With a roar, Chat Noir raised his clawed hand into the air.

"CATACLYSM!" he yelled, and with a pulse of magic, he brought his fist crashing to the ground.

In an instant, the darkness around him fractured. Blinding light pierced through the shroud.

As if from a great distance, he heard a shout of _"Miraculous Ladybug!"_

The world came roaring back into focus.

Chat stumbled, shaking his head, trying to clear it of the screams that still echoed through his ears.

The man who had been Akumatized was sitting on the courtyard's newly mended cobblestones, restored to his normal self and gazing around in bewilderment. His was the only pair of eyes not trained towards Chat Noir.

The guests who had not managed to escape out the front gate – and there were plenty – were staring in his direction. Every face was a mixture of shock and something else. Anger? Disapproval? … _Fear?_

Many of them had their phones out, recording pictures and videos of everything that had happened.

Ladybug was kneeling beside the Akumatized man, her hand on his back as she murmured gentle words of comfort. Her eyes were on Chat, though, and worry was etched into her face.

Chat stumbled to his feet, his breathing labored as his heart thundered in his chest. He was shaking.

As he stared back at Ladybug, movement at the top of the mansion's steps caught his eye. He saw his father emerge from the hall within. But Gabriel did not look angry about his grand party being the scene of an attack; on the contrary, his expression was that of intrigue. His hands were clasped behind his back and all at once, Chat felt as though he were a small boy again, stealing himself for his father's harsh reprimanding.

The familiar, sharp _beep-beep_ of his ring sent a visceral jolt of fear through Chat Noir as he stared into Gabriel's cold eyes. Without sparing another glance to the crowd surrounding him, he spun on his heel, struck his staff to the ground, and launched high into the cool night air. He did not even look back to see if Ladybug would follow him or stay to help smooth things over.

His feet raced over the rooftops of Paris, as fast as the thoughts that sped through his mind.

His father had a Miraculous in his possession. The Miraculous had belonged to his mother, Emilie. He didn't know if Gabriel was aware of its true power. He didn't know if his mother was a wielder.

Of only one thing he was absolutely certain; he needed to consult Master Fu as soon as possible.

* * *

 **Two new chapters in one day?! Aw yeahh!**

 **It's a shorter one (compared to my usual standards) but it's packed with a lot of things so there's that! I already had most of this written when I posted Ch 3 earlier, so I figure'd might as well just wrap it up ;) Super pumped to keep sharing this with you guys, it's only gonna get more intense and exciting from here!**

 **If you are reading this after 9/18/2019, then yay! This chapter is officially twice as long as it was originally, with a bunch more content and plot development! I'm super pumped for the story to come, and I hope you are too!**


	5. Chapter 5

**SURPRISE B!TCHES! BET YOU THOUGHT YOU'D SEEN THE LAST OF ME! :D**

 **More notes at the end of this chapter, but for now I HIGHLY encourage you re-read Chapter 4 (if not all the previous chapters). As of 9/18/19, I did some heavy editing to the beginning of this fic, and now Chapter 4 is twice as long as before with some MAJOR plot points!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

The cool night air sent a shiver through Chat Noir, still covered as he was in the cold sweat that had come over him during the attack.

It had taken only several minutes for him to make his way over the city's rooftops towards Master Fu's home. He had spared no time stopping anywhere else after leaving his father's party. He knew he should have waited for Ladybug to join him; this concerned her nearly as much as it did himself. Plus, he felt terrible leaving her on her own to deal with everyone's questions.

But he couldn't wait – he needed to speak to Master Fu immediately.

Hurrying up the stairs, he detransformed as he rapped his knuckles sharply on the door.

"What's gotten into you?" Plagg exclaimed as he materialized out of his ring to land on Adrien's shoulder. "What was all that about? I couldn't see what was going on for a while, there."

"I don't know," Adrien said, surprised to find his voice hoarse, as if _he_ had been the one screaming.

They heard a sound from the other side of the door – a latch being undone – and Master Fu appeared, gazing up at them with interest.

Wayzz hovered above his head.

"Adrien? Plagg? What are you two doing here at this hour –"

"Master, I'm sorry it's late, but something has happened," Adrien interjected.

Fu's face turned suddenly serious.

"Where is Marinette?" he said, glancing past them to the empty hall.

"She's alright," Adrien said assuredly. "It's not her, it's… I'm sorry Master, but I need to speak with you about something."

Fu frowned and nodded, moving back from the door to allow them to enter.

"Do you happen to have any cheese?" Plagg added, though the dramatic distress he usually feigned was somewhat lessened by the severity of the situation.

Master Fu shut the door with a snap and strode into the kitchen. He returned quickly to place a plate of food before them as Adrien settled himself onto one of the cushions at the table.

Plagg dove down and began munching on the bits of cheese in earnest.

Adrien noticed that there was some fruit and crackers on there as well, likely for himself, but he was too tense to eat anything.

Wayzz settled down beside Plagg, and Master Fu moved back to the kitchen to prepare a kettle.

Adrien looked around and caught sight of the printed copy of the Grimoire that sat on one of Fu's side cabinets. He rose again and made his way over to leaf through the pages until he found what he was looking for; when he landed upon the page with the Peafowl Miraculous, resignation washed over him. There had been a part of him that prayed he was wrong, that he had simply misrecognized the broach and it all had been a mistake. But there it was, just as he had seen it in person earlier that evening.

"Now, Adrien. What is on your mind?" Master Fu said, sitting down on the other side of the table.

"Well, you see… tonight, Marinette and I attended an annual party at my father's house –"

"I'm sorry to hear that," Master Fu said.

Adrien looked back around to stare at him and caught an understanding twinkle in the old man's eye. He couldn't help but smile briefly at that.

"Yes, well," he continued, returning to his cushion, "the thing is, while we were there, I had to go to my father's office and inform him about something. But while I was in there, I saw… Master, I think my father has the Peafowl Miraculous in his possession."

Master Fu went rigid, his mouth hanging open.

"Th-the… the Peafowl Miraculous?" he said finally, raising a shaking hand to his brow in shock. "You're… you're _sure_ about this, Adrien?"

Adrien nodded grimly.

"I recognized it from the illustration in the Grimoire. I would know it anywhere."

Fu exchanged a worried look with Wayzz, who sat atop the table.

"This is… surprising news indeed. Well… I supposed not quite so surprising. Even Marinette had suspected him of being Hawkmoth a while back, do you remember –?"

"We disproved that theory, _remember?"_ Adrien said, a bit more harshly than he intended. "I'm sorry, Master, but… there _has_ to be another explanation for all this, hasn't there?"

"What kind of explanation are you looking for, Adrien?" Master Fu asked grimly.

"I don't know!" Adrien exclaimed, standing up again in agitation and pacing across the floor. "I don't know if there _is_ another explanation, but… my _father?_ Working with _Hawkmoth?_ The monster who has tried to _kill us for over half our lives?!"_

Adrien stopped in front of the window, running his hands through his hair in distress.

"I'm sorry, Master," he said finally turning back after a long moment of silence. "I… I suppose I'm just not ready to believe something like that. My father may be a terrible person, but… a _supervillain?"_

Fu gestured for Adrien to sit down.

Adrien grimaced before returning to his cushion.

"We all discover things in our life that are difficult to accept, Adrien," Master Fu said slowly, as if he were choosing his words with great care. "There are… thin strings of destiny that connect us all. Every choice we make – or don't make – has the power to strengthen or severe those connections. Some of them we rely on to reassure us of who we are, of why we move along the paths we have chosen. Not only do they connect us, they can pull at us in all directions. Sometimes it can feel like they are pulling at you so much you will be ripped to pieces. Sometimes they are the only things actually _keeping_ you from being ripped apart."

He paused, peering at Adrien before continuing.

"But in all things, it is important to understand that, for better or worse, these strings… these _connections_ are why we are who we are. And we all must make the choice to either focus on that which holds us back, or instead, on that which holds us together."

Adrien gazed into the old man's somber eyes. He turned these words over in his head, trying to understand what they meant, and not entirely sure if he did.

He felt like a child again, alone in the world, trapped in a cage he could not escape. He wanted to find the answers, but how could he possibly face his father without proof? To accuse him of being – or at the very least, aiding – a supervillain would surely drive the final nail into the coffin that was their relationship. Dreadful father that he was, Gabriel was still the only family he had left. Was he really ready to throw that away for good?

The kettle suddenly began to give off a loud whistle, making him jump.

Master Fu hopped up to retrieve the tea.

"Master, I'm afraid that's not all," Adrien said, feeling even more apprehensive.

"Oh?" Master Fu said as he returned to the table with two cups and a teapot. "What else is there that troubles you?"

"Master, it's… You see I've…" he hesitated, unsure of where to even start.

Plagg shot him a meaningful look between bites and gave him a nod of encouragement.

Adrien took a deep, shaky breath and tried again.

"Master, ever since the Akuma last winter that… that put Marinette in the hospital, Plagg and I have been having… I suppose nightmares are the best way to describe them."

"Yes, I know," Master Fu said gravely, pouring the tea into two cups and pushing one across the table towards him.

"You... know?" Adrien's brow drew into a frown.

Fu nodded.

"Marinette informed me of this some time ago. She has been worried for you."

Adrien's jaw clenched. Frustration bubbled up inside him. But after a beat of silence, it subsided. After all, he knew he would've done the same thing for her had their positions been reversed.

He couldn't fault her for simply trying to help.

"Well," he continued. "They had always been the same; for the longest time, it was just like… reliving that attack, over and over, and feeling the dark energy that came from destroying an Akuma myself. But a few weeks ago, something changed."

He shuddered.

Plagg stopped eating to float back up and perch on his shoulder.

"I began having dreams… visions… about my mother."

"Your mother?" Master Fu raised an eyebrow.

Adrien nodded.

"They have the same dark energy around them, Master," Plagg added.

"You've been sharing these same dreams still?" Fu's surprise was plain on his face.

Plagg shook his head.

"No. I'm still tied to them like the other nightmares. I can still feel the darkness. But Adrien is the one trapped inside them."

Adrien shifted uncomfortably on his cushion.

"They felt so _real,"_ he said, another shudder running up his spine as he recalled the screams. "But the thing is, they aren't just… nightmares… anymore."

Master Fu's gaze intensified.

"How do you mean? What has happened?"

"Tonight, there was another Akuma attack. Everything was going fine. Ladybug and I were in the middle of fighting it when…"

Adrien paused. He almost didn't want to say it out loud, as if keeping quiet about it would make it seem less real.

"Please go on, Adrien," Wayzz said gently.

Glancing down, Adrien saw the kindness on the Kwami's face. Swallowing hard, he nodded and continued.

"While we were fighting the Akuma, the same thing that happens in those nightmares about my mother began to appear in real life."

They all stared at him. Even Plagg had frozen in shock.

"Your mother appeared to you tonight?" Master Fu said slowly.

"N-not completely, I don't think," Adrien said quickly. "It was like I myself was back in the nightmare. But this time I was awake for it. I kept hearing her voice, hearing her _screams…_ And then everything went black, and she was there. I couldn't escape what was happening. I think I panicked and tried to Cataclysm my way out of the darkness. Somehow, it actually worked."

"This is all… very unusual, Adrien," Master Fu said slowly, gazing at him with concern.

"I don't know what's happening to me. Am I losing my mind? I want to stop it, but I don't know how. Master… _how do I make it stop?"_

"Adrien, I do not believe that you are going mad," Fu said, his voice gentle and reassuring. "The fact that it is tied to the same dark energy that has plagued the both of you since that Akuma last year leads me to believe that you are coming under attack."

Adrien frowned, giving him a questioning look.

Master Fu simply gestured for him to have some of his tea.

Adrien grimaced but reached for his cup nonetheless and took a sip. The tea had a warm sweetness to it, dispelling some of the chills that he hadn't realized were still afflicting him from the attack.

"It is like Marinette herself said," Master Fu finally continued. "The Akumas that Hawkmoth has been sending your way have been few and far between. Most of them have been, well, _insultingly_ easy. But perhaps this is because Hawkmoth is trying a _new_ tactic."

"Are you saying that _he_ is responsible for all the nightmares Plagg and I have been getting?" Adrien said, anger stirring in the pit of his stomach. "It's not just the Akuma's dark energy, but an intentional attack?"

"Yes and no..." Master Fu leaned an elbow onto the table, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "I believe that he may not have been influencing these dreams _directly_ from the very beginning. It would have simply been enough that his perversion of the Butterfly Miraculous fueled the residual darkness when you absorbed the Akuma. Perhaps he became aware of this connection to you over time, and is now testing his ability to manipulate it."

"But how would he know what to trigger in those nightmares?" Adrien asked, frowning. "Even _I_ couldn't have come up with the visions of my mother like that."

"Who is to say he _knows_ what you are seeing? Is it not enough for him to target the parts of your mind that hold your hurts and your fears? Perhaps he is able to influence the dark magic needed to cause you psychological pain, but I do not believe that he can look into your mind and see those thoughts for himself. If he could, well… that would mean he could easily find out your true identity. As no one has attacked you in your civilian form, I do not believe that is the case… _yet."_

"But… _why?"_ Adrien ran a hand through his hair, feeling frantic. "It's been months since the nightmares began, so why is it escalating now?"

"Who knows? Perhaps it took him this long to realize there is a connection. And there are many reasons why he would want to torture you. To be tormented by disturbing dreams and visions, at the very least, would weaken you, making you more vulnerable to any future attack he may throw your way."

Adrien felt sick. To think that he was being _actively_ targeted by the villain, manipulated to be weaker so that Hawkmoth might have a chance to gain the upper hand after all this time…

"I don't know what to do, Master," Adrien said finally, his voice small.

Master Fu regarded him thoughtfully for a long while, the tips of his fingers pressed together.

Finally, Wayzz floated into the air between them.

"Do you think _she_ might have the answers, Master?" he asked, his small voice solemn. "You have been working on deciphering that book for many years, but there is still much you have not made out. She might know what to do."

Master Fu frowned, but still said nothing.

Adrien looked between the two of them, confused. After another moment of silence, he could wait no longer.

"Who is this ' _she'_ you're talking about?" he demanded. "Is there someone else who knows about the Miraculous? Can she help?"

Master Fu sighed and closed his eyes.

Adrien turned questioningly to Wayzz.

"Well..." Wayzz said uncertainly. "Do you recall Master telling you of his time with the Order of the Guardians?"

"Yes," said Adrien slowly. "But I thought they had been destroyed long ago."

"Well, for many years he _thought_ he was the only survivor," Wayzz said, shooting a glance towards Fu before continuing. "But it turns out that was not entirely true."

Adrien's eyes widened.

"Wait, you found other Guardians?" he exclaimed, shocked that it could even be possible.

"Guardian." Wayzz corrected. "Singular."

"But that's incredible! Master, you must be thrilled!"

But Master Fu did not look thrilled. On the contrary, his scowl deepened, and with a derisive snort, he stood abruptly from the table and crossed the room to stare out the window into the night.

"Unfortunately," Wayzz sighed. "Kunchen desired nothing to do with Master when they found out that both of them had survived. In fact, she… well, she was quite vehement in her demands that he never contact her again."

Adrien turned to gaze at Fu's back. The old man's shoulders hunched, and a tension hung around him that Adrien had never seen before.

He thought back through the years of knowing his mentor, trying to recall everything he had learned of Master Fu's time with the Order. There was not much to remember, though, other than how Fu had always seemed to blame himself for their downfall. _And_ for the loss of the Miraculous.

"Master Fu…" he hesitated, feeling it might be unwise to ask this question. But his curiosity got the better of him. "Master, what _did_ happen that brought the downfall of the Guardian Order?"

Fu remained unmoving and said nothing.

Adrien shifted uncomfortably on his cushion as the silence lengthened. He was beginning to formulate an apology for his intrusive question when Master Fu finally spoke.

"A grave mistake was made," he said, a hard edge in his usually calm voice. "But that is not a story for tonight."

He turned back to face them, and Adrien was relieved to find that the anger had left his eyes.

"Perhaps she will never speak to _me_ again," he said thoughtfully, strolling closer again. "But I doubt Sifu Kunchen would outright refuse to help those from a new generation of Miraculous Wielders."

Adrien raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Fu began pacing back and forth across his apartment, stroking his beard absently as he thought.

Wayzz floated over to him, his head tilting curiously.

"Yes," Fu murmured, mostly to himself. "Yes, I suppose that there is really nothing else to do."

"Will you just _say it_ already?" Plagg burst out finally, making all of them jump. "It's getting late, and I want to get home to my camembert before dawn comes!"

Adrien threw his Kwami a reproachful look, but Plagg was unabashed.

Master Fu hardly seemed to mind. He shuffled over to the cabinet where the Grimoire was sitting and stooped down to open one of its doors.

"Adrien, if you would be so kind, I need your passport information as soon as possible," he said matter of factly, rummaging through stacks of papers that sat on the cabinet's shelves. "And Marinette's as well, if she is to accompany you."

"What?" Adrien said, taken aback. "Why do you need our passports?"

"Because I need to forge your various documents and travel papers. It will take too long to do things properly, and if Hawkmoth _is_ targeting you then we need to find answers _now."_

"Wait, Master hold on! Where are you sending us?"

"Tibet."

"Wha– ?!" Adrien gapped. "Master, wait! You can't just –"

"Adrien, _I do not have the answers you need!"_ Master Fu said abruptly.

He straightened up from the cabinet with several documents in his arms and slammed them down upon the table.

Adrien jumped.

"This has already become a graver matter than you could have expected when Hawkmoth's influence over your mind strengthened. If there is any hope in learning how to resolve this, _you must go to Sifu Kunchen."_

The intensity in his eyes as he said this sent a chill down Adrien's spine. He stared, unsure of how to respond.

Finally, though, he nodded.

"Alright, I'll go."

Master Fu's glare relaxed a bit as he regarded Adrien.

Both Wayzz and Plagg were hovering between them, looking uncertain.

Plagg caught Adrien's eye and offered him a rare smile of encouragement.

"Can you just promise me one thing?" Adrien added suddenly.

Master Fu's frown returned as he looked questioningly at Adrien, but he gestured for him to continue.

After a long moment of hesitation, Adrien bowed his head.

"Please, just don't tell Marinette."

* * *

Marinette rolled over under her covers and slowly opened her eyes to stare at her bedroom wall. A cold, pre-dawn light had started to filter in through her curtains.

She had hardly slept a wink since the attack the night before.

Adrien had been entirely unreachable after he'd fled the party. She'd had to smooth talk her way out of the bombardment of questions from everyone who had witnessed Chat Noir's strange behavior.

"It was just part of the Akuma's attack," Ladybug had said, waving her hands dismissively when they had asked what happened. "He's perfectly fine, nothing to worry about!"

And then, once she had managed to stave off their questions and find a place to detransform, a whole _new_ round of interrogation came from Monsieur Agreste, Nathalie, and several other people who were curious to see where _Adrien_ had gone off to.

"Sorry, I don't think he's feeling well!" she'd had to say loudly, barricading herself in front of one of their bathroom doors, allowing no one to enter the perfectly empty room. "I don't think some of the hors d'oeuvres are sitting well with him this evening. No, you DO NOT want to go in there, it's all pretty gross. I'll see if he's feeling better in a moment, but we might have to head out early!"

It hadn't exactly been her finest moment.

The night had ended with her "checking up on him" by going into the bathroom, transforming into Ladybug once again, and fleeing through the window. Hopefully everyone would think they had both slipped away together when no one was paying attention.

If she wasn't so worried about Adrien, she might've been ready to kill him.

But as it was, she truly felt _sick_ with worry. The way he had acted when they were fighting the Akuma made it seem like something unseen was attacking him. And he'd looked _terrified_ when it was all over. She was desperate to talk to him and find out what was going on, but after scanning the city as Ladybug, and then spamming his phone with dozens of messages and calls, she still couldn't reach him.

It slowly grew lighter as she continued to stare at the wall. Soft, weak rays of sunlight began to inch across her room. In the distance, she could hear the growing noise of morning traffic.

She reached a hand out from under her blanket and rubbed at her temples, trying to dispel a low throbbing headache. Her eyes itched with drowsiness, but now that the sun was on the rise, she didn't have much hope of going back to sleep now.

Letting out a deep sigh, Marinette pushed her blankets off and rolled over to swing her legs over the side of the bed.

She froze.

Sitting on the floor at the foot of her bed, his head resting against the mattress, was Chat Noir. His eyes were closed, and his mouth was open slightly as his shoulders rose and fell with slow, measured breaths.

Marinette looked to her window and saw that it was open. She was shocked that he had managed to sneak into her room without her notice.

She reached a hand out to wake him, her mind buzzing with questions, but she stopped her fingers just short of brushing through his hair.

He looked exhausted.

She knew, perhaps better than anyone, just how often he neglected to sleep, and to see him doze so peacefully was a precious thing. Perhaps her questions could wait a little longer. At the very least, she knew he was safe.

Tikki floated over and perched on her knee.

Marinette gave her a half-hearted smile but said nothing. Finally, she stood and wandered to her closet to change out of her underwear and sports bra. She might as well put this nervous energy into something productive. Her studio was to have a big review soon anyway, and she had plenty of work to do that afternoon.

Tying her hair up into a ponytail, she dressed quietly in a simple skirt and light jacket before gathering her supplies into her bag. As she retrieved a handful of cookies for Tikki and put them into one of the bag's pockets, a small yawn came from Chat Noir.

Turning, she found herself gazing into his tired, green eyes as he watched her.

"I was going to let you sleep a bit longer," she said quietly, putting her things down and moving across the room to settle herself onto the rug beside him. "How are you feeling?"

Chat reached a clawed hand up to rub some of the sleep from his eyes.

"Could be better…" Turning to look at her again, the corner of his mouth quirked into a wry smile. "But I could probably be much worse, too."

"You have _no idea_ how much I've been freaking out," Marinette said, frowning. "Why didn't you call me? Or answer _any_ of my messages? I've been trying to reach you all night.

Chat's smile disappeared. He held an arm out to her.

After glowering at him for a moment longer, Marinette scooted forward and curled into his chest as he wrapped her up in a hug.

"I'm sorry," he said, pulling her tightly against himself and pressing his cheek to the top of her head. "I'm so, so sorry, Marinette."

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice muffled into his shoulder. "What happened to you? I was worried _sick."_

"I know, I just…" Chat hugged her tighter. "I'm so sorry. Something's… happened. A couple somethings, actually. I was kind of freaking out last night and didn't know what to do. I've been at Master Fu's."

Marinette could have kicked herself for not thinking to check there. Pulling back a little, she held his face in her hands. He looked about as tired as she felt, and his brow had pulled into a worried frown.

Tikki hovered around them, fretting silently.

"What's going on?" Marinette finally asked.

He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead down against hers.

"It's the nightmares again," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Marinette waited for him to speak, but he remained silent. Peering closer at him, she realized that he looked utterly worn. His soft leather cat ears were drooped into a tense, flat line, and his head hung like a man defeated.

Softly, she ran two fingers along the edge of his mask, feeling how the ridges of material met the soft skin of his cheek, before combing her hand gently through his hair.

"Tell me," she whispered.

He opened his eyes and looked sadly at her.

"They've gotten… so much worse."

They sat there on the carpet while Marinette and Tikki listened to him describing the dreams of his mother, how they had felt just as dark as the dreams from the Akuma, and how they had escalated into hallucinations during last night's attack. He told them Master Fu's theory that Hawkmoth had become aware of this dark magic connecting them, and was now possibly using his influence to mess with his head.

Marinette wove her fingers through his and held his hands tightly to stop her own from shaking.

"He's trying to make you weaker… more vulnerable," she said finally, her heart thudding in her chest.

Chat bowed his head.

"That's what Master Fu thinks."

"We're going to figure this out," she said, working hard to keep her voice calm for him and wrapping her arms around him once more. "We're going to find a way to break his hold on you. We _will_ find a way to make this stop."

Chat nothing, but leaned his head against hers, his clawed hands clinging tightly to the back of her shirt.

"Is this what you were trying to tell me last night outside your father's office?" she asked suddenly, remembering how shaken he was before the Akuma had shown up.

She felt Chat tense in her arms.

"Well…" he said, pausing for a long moment.

Marinette heard a strange note in his voice.

"What is it?" She tilted her head down, trying to catch his eye.

"… No. That was… something else…."

Chat shifted back a bit to look up at her.

Marinette thought she saw a strange conflict his expression. She frowned expectantly.

"Well," he said, still hesitant. "Last night, I found –"

 _BOOM._

A deep rumble shook the apartment building.

They both jumped, exchanging a worried glance.

Quickly untangling herself from Chat's arms, Marinette stood and hurried to her window.

"Not another one so soon?" she said, looking up and down the street for the source of the quaking.

A few blocks away in the direction of her campus, a large cloud of dust was rising into the cold morning air.

Turning back to Chat, she saw that he too had gotten to his feet, his expression grim.

"Do you think you'll be ok?" Marinette asked, stepping back to him and taking his hand.

His frown deepened for a moment before he gently cupped his hand to her cheek and leaned down to kiss her.

"I have to be," he said, pulling away to give her a halfhearted shadow of his old Cheshire grin. With one last squeeze of her fingers, he let go and leaped out her window.

Snatching up her bag and slinging it across her shoulder, Marinette leapt after him, calling, "Tikki, _transforme moi!"_

Together, they hurried over a dozen rooftops, the commotion growing louder as they closed in on the latest Akuma.

* * *

 **YAY I'M BACK BABY! I like to pretend I'm still a content creator since I technically have been working on stuff regularly, I just haven't been posting it lol :) But! C'est la vie. Adulting is busy work!**

 **I wouldn't be surprised if I lost all my readers after *ahem* not updating for a year and a half, but for the two of you who might have stuck with me, thanks for your patience! I have this fic entirely planned out, and as of right now I have up through Chapter 10 completed and ready to go. I will be posting a new chapter every Friday from here until we catch up to where I'm still working! Chapter 11 is halfway edited, and everything else is in progress. This fic is looking to be nearly twice as long as ABND, so at least there's that! :) Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy!**

 **Next update will be posted 9/27 so stay tuned and THANK YOU FOR READING!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Alighting onto the roof of a building across from student housing, Ladybug paused.

Chat Noir stopped beside her, his cat ears swiveling as they picked up on the screams of people bolting from one of the apartments.

"What in the –" Ladybug began, but before she could finish, an explosion brought them both to their knees.

An entire wing of the apartment's third floor had been blasted open. Great plumes of dust and debris billowed onto the street. Another round of screams echoed from the people below.

Without hesitating, Ladybug stood up again and launched herself over to the explosion site, soaring through the wreckage of what used to be an exterior wall.

Chat Noir was right on her heels.

Ladybug coughed, covering her mouth and nose as she peered through the thick cloud.

"Hello?" she called. "Hey, is anybody –"

 _Click-click._

"Look out!" Chat barked.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and yanked her back as a small flock of odd white birds suddenly appeared from the rubble.

They hovered before them for a heartbeat. Then, letting loose an eerie cry, they attacked.

Chat whipped out his staff and spun it lightening quick, creating a shield against the birds.

One by one, they smacked against the room's remaining wall and fluttered to the ground.

Ladybug squinted at the birds. There was something strange about them. Something… not quite _alive._

 _Click-click._

Ears perking at the noise, Ladybug craned her neck towards the hall, trying to pinpoint where it was coming from.

 _Click-click. Click-click._

"Well, I suppose I should be _flattered_ to have the two most renowned superheroes of Paris in my room," came a voice. "But honestly at this point, it just drives home my humiliation."

A young woman stepped through the battered doorframe and turned to face them with a glower.

She looked to be made entirely out of parchment. Inky dark circles hollowed the skin beneath her eyes and ran down her cheeks like tear stains. Her hands and forearms were stained as well, the ink rolling down her fingers and dribbling into a murky pool on the ground, almost as if she stood in her own blood.

 _Click-click. Click-click._

The Akuma played with something small in her hands.

Ladybug guessed that whatever it was must be the source of the clicking.

"We're here to help you," she said, raising her hands placatingly. "We don't want to hurt you, and I'm sure you don't want to hurt anyone else."

"Oh! So _now_ it matters what I want?"

 _Click-click. Click-click._

The Akuma let out a laugh that bordered on hysteria.

"It sure as hell _didn't_ matter to my professor when they rejected my theses as _plagiarism_ this morning! It didn't matter that I've spent _weeks_ researching everything and killing myself to get everything written in time! But _no._ All it took was some asshole turning in my own work right before I could, and suddenly _none of it matters!"_

 _Click-click. Click-click._

"I'm sorry," Chat Noir said, taking a hesitant step forward, his eyes sympathetic. "I can't imagine how much that hurts."

"I don't want your pity," the Akuma spat, her inky hands balling into fists. "I am Plagiaress, and I _will_ take back the words that were stolen from me."

 _Click-click._

With a snarl, Plagiaress raised her arms and the birds, which had been laying motionless on the ground, suddenly rose to attention.

 _'Not birds,'_ Ladybug realized, getting a better look at them. _'Paper airplanes!'_

But before she could think more on it, the planes had shot forward and blasted them both through the wall.

Ladybug spun blindly through the air. The airplanes whirled around her, blocking her vision and causing dozens of paper cuts across her face. With a shriek of frustration, she whipped her yo-yo out and flung it in a direction she desperately hoped was up.

For a heart stopping second, she fell.

Then, with a violent tug, the string of her yo-yo snapped tight; it had caught on the roof of the dorm building. Ladybug soared out of the cloud of paper as the ground rushed up to meet her. Stumbling onto the cobblestones, she spun around just in time to see Chat Noir's startled face before – _WHAM!_

He plowed into her.

The wind left her with an _"Oompf!"_ as her back hit the ground. The part of her mind that wasn't ringing in pain expected the sharp edges of paper airplanes to tear them apart. But after a moment of nothing, she opened her eye.

Chat Noir had bolted to his feet. He spun his staff rapidly, fending off the whirlwind of paper that had them surrounded.

"Sorry about that!" he called over the loud flapping. "You alright, M'lady?"

"Yeah," she muttered weakly, wincing as she got to her feet. "Just peachy."

"Any thoughts on how to stop these things?" he said, putting his back to hers as she started spinning her yo-yo.

"I don't know! Did you see anything that the Akuma might be inside?"

"Did you see what she was holding before she –"

 _Click-click. Click-click._

A furious bellow rang in Ladybug's ears, drowning out Chat's words. Something slammed into her, knocking the breath out of her once more as she tumbled through the whirling airplanes. She looked up just in time to avoid another direct hit from Plagiaress.

A pen in the Akuma's hand caught Ladybug's attention as she righted herself again to block another jab.

Plagiaress was brandishing the pen like a pocket knife.

 _Click-click._

Ladybug didn't know what would happen if Plagiaress managed to cut her with the pen, and she certainly didn't want to find out.

"Ladybug!" Chat shouted, struggling to cover his flank once more as her absence left him vulnerable to the airplanes.

"It's her pen, Chat!" she shouted, dodging another swipe, which was difficult as a new wave of planes circled around her once more.

"Give me your Miraculous!" Plagiaress cried, twirling the pen and stabbing out at Ladybug's ribs. She missed and tried again for an arm.

"How is my Miraculous supposed to help your situation?" Ladybug said breathlessly, her attention torn between the planes and the Akuma.

"How the hell should I know?!" Plagiaress snarled. "Obviously, life isn't fair, _Bug._ I'm just trying to get by like everyone else. But at least getting your Miraculous is a tangible goal! And I _won't_ fail this one."

With a snarl, Ladybug kicked at the Akuma's shins.

Plagiaress lost her footing and toppled to the ground.

"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug cried, seizing her chance and tossing her yo-yo high into the air. A strange rubber bag fell back into her hands. In an instant, she realized that she now held a polka-dotted hot water bottle.

Plagiaress jumped back to her feet, her expression murderous.

A dark shadow behind the Akuma caught Ladybug's eye. She glanced up to see Chat launch himself forward, his hand swirling with Cataclysmic energy.

But Ladybug's distraction was all the warning Plagiaress needed.

With a snarl, the Akuma spun on her heel and flung her arm out at him.

The tornado of airplanes shot forward and blew Chat away. With a dreadful _THUD_ , he hit the wall of the half-destroyed dorm building. Cracks spiraled across the stone where his Cataclysm had made contact.

Ladybug winced.

"Chat! Are you ok – ?"

It was then that she saw it happen. Something in Chat Noir's expression changed. No longer were his bright green eyes focused on the battle. Now his pupils had turned to slits, and his entire face paled.

Ladybug's stomach plummeted.

"Chat?!" she shouted. _"Chat Noir!"_

With a snarl, Chat Noir's eyes closed, and he clutched at his head as if his very skull were about to crack. His snarl turned into a scream.

 _'No!'_ she thought with a horrified realization. _'No, not again! Not now!'_

She stumbled forward. She didn't know how she could help him, but she had to try.

Before she could take two steps, Plagiaress lashed out.

The tip of the Akuma's pen lanced across her left wrist, and a searing pain shot through her.

Looking down, Ladybug saw a dark stain blossoming from the place that hurt most.

 _'Blood?'_ she thought in alarm.

But no… not blood, _ink._ Just like the ink that dripped from the Akuma's arms and stained her cheeks.

Ladybug's hand seized up, and she felt the muscles turn as brittle as paper. The sensation slowly began to creep up her forearm as the ink stain grew.

"Chat!" she screamed again, panic growing in her chest.

Chat Noir had fallen to his knees, still holding his head as if trying to stop it from splitting open.

Plagiaress lunged forward once more, narrowly missing Ladybug's neck. She called upon her airplanes, and the whirlwind that had barraged Chat now returned to attack her in full force.

"Chat, snap out of it!" Ladybug cried, her voice breaking in desperation as she flung her yo-yo about her, trying to keep the Akuma at bay while hundreds of airplanes pelted her, stabbing like needles. "Chat, please! _Help me!"_

"He can't help you now," Plagiaress said with a wicked grin. "Monsieur Hawkmoth has other plans for him."

Ladybug's heart shuddered at the Akuma's words as she realized she was truly alone in this.

 _'I need to destroy the Akuma,'_ her mind raced as fast as her yo-yo. _'I'll get to Chat when I destroy the Akuma.'_

Everything that followed became a blur.

In desperation, Ladybug pushed against the onslaught and began her own attack. Her left arm grew limp and useless as the ink stained its way past her elbow. Each of the razor-sharp airplanes sliced at her, but she gritted her teeth and ignored the searing pain.

Her single focus became destroying the vile Akuma.

 _'Destroy the Akuma, get to Chat.'_ The words ran through her head, over and over, the two goals intrinsically linked. _'Destroy the Akuma, get to Chat. DESTROY THE AKUMA, SAVE CHAT NOIR.'_

A deafening rumble sounded as the ground shook beneath them. Clouds of dust rose out from the dorm building that Chat had Cataclysmed. Its foundation was collapsing.

Ladybug ignored it. She could fix it with her Lucky Charm. She could fix everything. She could save Chat Noir. She _had to._

The Akuma charged, brandishing her deadly pen with a crazed scream.

Ladybug flung the hot water bottle out with her good arm and caught the pen inside the small opening at the top. Using Plagiaress' momentum, she spun with the Akuma in a wide circle and yanked the hot water bottle upwards.

With a snap, the pen broke.

All around her, hundreds of razor-sharp airplanes froze before fluttering to the ground. A small, dark butterfly emerged from the pen's broken pieces.

Ladybug quickly tossed her yo-yo forward to capture it. In the span of two heartbeats, the insect was cleansed of its vile magic.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" she said, flinging the hot water bottle high above her. A glittering cloud of familiar magic surged around her, healing her arm and restoring the surrounding buildings to their original state.

The young girl – now transformed back into her normal self – sat on the cobblestones looking around in a daze. Catching sight of Ladybug, her eyes grew wide and she opened her mouth in horrified realization.

But for once, Ladybug couldn't bring herself to bother with the Akumatized victim.

A few yards away, Chat Noir was kneeling on the ground, his head still in his hands and his shoulders trembling.

Hurrying over, Ladybug frantically crouched beside him to find his eyes blown wide in alarm.

"Chat," she whispered, running her hands along his arms helplessly. "Are you ok? What do you need, how can I help you?"

"I – I'm sorry," he said, his voice cracking as he stared past her. "Th-this is… it happened again…"

"Ladybug!" someone called her name, and she looked up to find that a small crowd was forming as people came out of hiding. Most of them were the students that had fled their apartments during the beginning of the attack. A lot of them were still in pajamas.

"Chat Noir, if I may ask you both some questions!"

A reporter was pushing past others to get close to them, his camera held high.

"Chat Noir! Why did you collapse like that?" came another shout from behind them, and turning, Ladybug saw _three_ more people with their own cameras pressing in.

"It looked like you were holding your head! Were you under psychic attack?"

"Is this a repeat of what happened to you last night?"

A couple of the cameras flashed.

Ladybug felt Chat flinch as they went off. He tried unsuccessfully to turn away from them.

"Ladybug, do you feel let down by Chat Noir?"

 _"C'mon,"_ Ladybug murmured. She stood and gently pulled Chat up with her. "Let's get out of here."

"Chat Noir, are you even still fit to be fighting monsters?"

"Do you still feel up to defending Paris?"

"Is the pressure of years of fighting finally causing you to have a breakdown?"

"I'm sorry," Ladybug raised her voice to be heard over their chatter. "We don't have time to answer any questions right now. There's important business we need to attend to!"

Chat had his head ducked down as he held on tight to her arm.

She wrapped her fingers securely around his.

"Please," she tried to back away from the onslaught, pulling Chat with her. "We really need to go, please let us go, _now!"_

"You heard her!" came a voice, ringing just as loud as her own. "Back off! Please allow our heroes to move along."

Ladybug looked around to see a young man sporting bright ginger hair carving a path through the people surrounding them. Taking in his uniform, she recognized him as the recently appointed Chief of Police, Monsieur Thomas Benoit. He was flanked by several fellow officers who were giving stern looks to the reporters.

"Clear off, everyone. Go about your business. _Move along!"_

The officers were holding their arms up, working together to form a small path for the two of them.

Ladybug hurried past them with Chat pressed against her side. She shot Benoit a grateful look, and he nodded in return.

Together, she and Chat Noir launched themselves out of the square and hurried across several rooftops before stopping some ways away from the commotion.

Ladybug turned to Chat as he began pacing and running his hand agitatedly through his hair.

"I'm _so sorry_ that happened," he said finally, turning towards her.

She could see the panic pulsing in his wide green eyes.

"I don't even know where to begin… I… I don't know what triggers it or how to make it stop, I just…"

He slumped down against the roof's railing, pressing his face into his hands.

Ladybug's breath caught in her chest. She moved towards him and put her hand on his shoulder.

When he looked up at her, he was on the verge of tears.

"I'm so sorry for letting you down," he said, his voice breaking.

Ladybug's mouth falling open.

"Excuse me?"

Chat's hands fell to his sides as he stared down at his feet.

"I was useless out there. _More_ than useless. I should have been able to have your back but instead I just… put you in more danger."

"No!" Ladybug said hastily, gripping his shoulder tighter and giving it a small shake. "No, _no!_ You're _not_ useless! Don't you dare listen to what those people were saying, they don't –"

"I was a _liability,"_ Chat said firmly, avoiding her gaze. "You had to do twice the amount of work because of me, and it almost got people hurt."

"N-no! Chat, I… Everything turned out ok!" Ladybug spluttered. "You were under attack, it couldn't be helped –"

Her protests were cut short. A loud clanging bell rang out just then, making them both jump. Looking around for the source of the noise, they spotted a clocktower a couple blocks down.

Ladybug looked back around to see Chat close his eyes and pinch the bridge of his nose.

 _"Damn,"_ he muttered. "I'd forgotten I was supposed to meet with the group from Valentino this morning."

Ladybug stared at him incredulously.

"You're leaving?"

"I'm sorry, I need to go –"

"I _kinda_ think that dealing with what just happened takes precedence!"

Chat shook his head sadly, never once looking directly at her as he pulled away. "I know, I – I know. But I can't –"

"Wait, no!" Ladybug reached for his hand and held it firmly within both of hers, trying to pull him back. "Chat, we need to talk about this! Can't anyone else do it? Call Zacharias –"

"You heard them last night, they insisted on meeting with _me._ They're only here for today, and I'm responsible for it…" He gently extracted himself from her grip. "I-I'm sorry, it's just… I feel like I'm suddenly losing my grip on life, I can't let this be ruined too."

"Chat Noir you CANNOT just leave like this!"

Ladybug took a step towards him, preparing to tackle him to the ground if that's what it took.

 _Beep-beep!_

She froze in her tracks, a hand instinctively reaching up to her Miraculous.

Chat finally looked back at her.

"You're about to detransform," he said, a sad smile tugging the corners of his mouth.

"Well, so are you," she angrily gestured at his ring, which displayed that he had only a couple minutes left.

"Tonight," he said. "Before we head over to Nino's, we'll talk. I promise."

"Chat, wait!"

"I'll leave early this afternoon, I _promise_ we'll talk more about it later."

 _"CHAT!"_

But he had already gone.

Ladybug gazed after him as he disappeared over the rooftops. She had half a mind to just throw caution to the wind and chase him down. They could probably catch one another if they ran out of time, right?

 _Beep-beep!_

With a heavy sigh, she turned and slid down the side of the roof and leapt down to the alley below. Detransforming, she caught Tikki up in her hands and gently helped her into the bag at her side.

"Do you think he's going to be ok?" Marinette asked, walking along the alley towards the busier road ahead.

Tikki looked up at her, wide eyes filled with worry.

"I don't know," she said, her voice small. "I haven't seen this before. Something is definitely wrong."

"I hope he gets done with work early. I'll bet he and Plagg are just as exhausted as we are, they really shouldn't push it."

Tikki just nodded before ducking out of sight.

Shoving her hands into her jacket pockets, Marinette made her way out of the alley and onto the street. Her feet carried her in the direction of the nearest café. Glancing through the large windows, she saw that it bustled with activity. She pushed the door open, catching the strong whiff of roasting espresso.

The line up to the counter moved slower than she had anticipated.

Letting out a sigh, she let her mind wander back to Adrien. Her stomach twisted with anxiety as she wracked her brain, trying to come up with any solution to these nightmares and hallucinations. But in all their years of wielding their Miraculous, she had never experienced what he was up against.

 _'It's all Hawkmoth's fault,'_ she thought, gritting her teeth.

 _He_ was the one making Adrien suffer. She could hardly stand it, knowing how much Adrien had already been through, how much he'd fought past the loneliness and fear to get to a place of happiness. And now, that villain was slowly trying to strip it away.

"… at the sight of the most recent Akuma attack, where Ladybug and Chat Noir recently left the scene."

Marinette looked up.

Several people at a table nearby were crowding around someone's laptop, which had a live newsreel playing at full volume. One of the reporters from earlier was speaking to the camera in front of the student housing building, now restored to its original structural intregrity.

"Eyewitness reports have stated that something rather strange seemed to be happening to our feline hero."

"It looked like he was having some sort of episode," came another voice.

Marinette strained her neck to see the reporter was now interviewing a couple students. It was a student that spoke into the mic now.

"He just froze up and wouldn't respond when Ladybug was screaming at him to help. I dunno, I don't think we'd be so worried if this hadn't apparently happened last night too."

"Do you have concerns about Chat Noir being able to properly defend civilians now?"

"I don't _want_ to be concerned," said another student. "But if this sort of thing keeps happening to him, then there might be something seriously wrong, you know?"

"Well, you heard it here first," said the reporter as he turned back to the camera. "The people of Paris are afraid. Is Chat Noir still fit to protect us from the evils that plague our city? Tune in for more at ten."

Utterly floored, Marinette starred as the group pulled away from the screen and began whispering amongst themselves.

Was this what other people were thinking? Did it only take a couple missteps for them to turn their back on him? Should she have said something to those reporters when she had the chance?

"It looks like the ol' Chat Noir isn't doing his job so well anymore."

Marinette frowned. Raising her chin, she glanced around, trying to see who belonged to that voice.

"Well, it seems he was under some sort of attack more than anything else," another voice responded. "Who's to say he wasn't fighting off an Akuma mind trick?"

Marinette turned to stare at two men who were waiting off to the side of the counter for their order. They, much like herself, had clearly been near enough to that group to hear everything in that news report.

"If it's happened twice in a row it just seems a bit suspicious," the shorter man was saying while his companion frowned. "If we need someone defending us against all these crazed monsters, I think I want people who are actually fit for the job."

"I dunno, man," the taller one said. "They've done their best up till now, shouldn't we give him the benefit of the doubt?"

"Well, their 'best' _still_ has us left with effing Akuma attacks every week! Obviously their 'best' isn't going to stop it all anytime soon. Maybe this is a sign we need some _new_ heroes, who are mentally stable and actually competent!"

Marinette grit her teeth.

"Oh, come now," sighed the tall man. "Who would you possibly replace them with?"

"All I'm saying is we shouldn't have to risk our safety on a superhero who can't even avoid a mental breakdown in the middle of an attack!"

Marinette caught the shorter man's eye, and her steady glare made him shift around uncomfortably.

Their order was called just then, and – doing his best to avoid her gaze – the man ushered his companion along. They hurried out of the café before she could think of how to confront them.

Breathing hard, Marinette clenched her fists around her bag's shoulder strap.

First those reporters, and now _this?_ They all had no idea, _no idea_ how hard Chat Noir fought for them! All those times he'd risked his life to save innocent people, and they can't even be bothered to give him a little grace?

She suddenly found herself at the front of the line, gazing into the face of an expectant barista. Blinking, she opened her mouth for a long moment, before bowing her head apologetically and shifting back out of line.

She wasn't in the mood for coffee anymore. Her blood was already boiling.

Turning, she made her way through the throng of people and hurried back onto the street in the direction of her studio.

She knew these latest attacks would be all anyone could talk about now. And imagining how Adrien would feel once he heard what they were saying made her stomach churn.

Climbing the stairs up to her class's floor, she shoved open the door and stalked over to her usual corner. She was the only one there so far, which turned out to be lucky, for when she pulled her bag off her shoulder and threw it onto her desk, Tikki let out an indignant squeak.

"Sorry, Tikki," Marinette mumbled, slumping down onto her chair and wheeling it over to the mannequin that sported her half-completed dress.

Tikki peeked her head out of the pocket she hid in, and seeing the empty room, she floated out to sit on the mannequin's shoulder.

Marinette rubbed at one of her temples.

"He's going to be ok," Tikki said softly.

Taking in a deep breath, Marinette straightened up to look at her.

Tikki gazed down at her sympathetically.

"I hope so…" Marinette said finally, releasing her breath in a long sigh. "I'm just worried that the people of Paris won't give him that chance."

"You can't control what people think and say," said Tikki. "You can only keep doing what's right."

Marinette didn't respond. She wasn't in the mood to think about how easily Paris was persuaded to doubt and mock someone who had done nothing but give so much to them.

Rolling her stool back over to her desk, she dug a pair of earphones out of her bag and set some loud music on her phone.

Tikki gazed at her for a long moment before settling down out of sight once more.

Marinette threw herself into her work, desperate for distraction.

She and Mathis had made a surprising amount of progress in the last few weeks, despite butting heads every five minutes. They collaborated only when necessary. For both their sakes, it was easier to remain as far apart as possible. To his credit, Mathis had behaved better recently than she had ever seen him in all their years of school. But every time she considered giving him the benefit of the doubt, memories of what he had done to her the previous year flashed across her mind, convincing her to keep her guard up.

Fortunately, between Mathis' unparalleled skills in clean lines and perfect construction, and her own flair for the dramatic, they had cobbled together a series of dresses that even _she_ had to admit were impressive.

The dresses were structured in ways that fit the forms of their models like nothing Marinette had ever made before. Mathis had constructed swirls of material that shimmered like burnished metal and floated along the runway like liquid smoke. She had then come up with embroidered patterns that gave off the impression of molten steel in a forge. Upon closer inspection, however, one would see the intricate details of countless flowers and stars whirling through the folds of fabric.

Three dresses had been mostly completed. A fourth now hung on Marinette's mannequin, and the beginnings of a fifth lay atop Mathis' desk across the room.

Pulling out spools of crimson and gold thread, Marinette hunched over the latest garment – a short and simple asymmetrical dress with a dramatic cloak that draped across the shoulders – and carefully stitched a starlight pattern into the fabric. All five fingers on her left hand were guarded by thimbles; growing up, she'd had more than enough experience accidently stabbing herself with needles.

As the morning turned to afternoon, the studio filled up around her with fellow students.

Meesh and Alec both arrived at some point, but Marinette barely spared them a nod. The needlework was involved enough that she was finally able to quiet her worried thoughts for Adrien, focusing instead on each of the tiny details. The stress still sat at the back of her mind, but her music was almost able to drown it all out.

Almost.

"Well, well, Marinette," a familiar snide voice said over the song playing through her earphones. "It looks like your super-feline _friend_ isn't doing so hot lately."

Frowning, Marinette looked up to see Mathis standing casually beside her, his cold grey eyes inspecting her embroidery.

"What are you talking about, Mathis?" she sighed, removing her earphones and raising an eyebrow pointedly.

"Have you not been paying attention to the news?" he asked, incredulous. Coming from him, the concern in his tone sounded particularly mocking. "The videos have been playing _everywhere."_

Pulling out his phone, he flipped to the local news and scrolled down to the day's headlines, holding it out for her to see.

Marinette stared. The first article read:

 **CHAT NOIR CAUSES CATASTROPHE**

And below that:

 **LADYBUG LET DOWN: CAN OUR BELOVED HEROINE STILL COUNT ON HER SIDEKICK?**

Images of the morning's attack were coupled with those from the fight during the party.

Marinette's jaw tightened as she watched shaky footage of Chat Noir collapsing to the ground. A fresh wave of pain stabbed through her heart as he cradled his head in his hands, his entire body trembling. In the background, she saw herself desperately battling the Akuma while shrieking for Chat to snap out of it.

She finally tore her gaze away as the footage clipped to a news anchor comparing the two attacks. Staring down at the pile of thread and fabric in her lap, she clenched her hands into fists to stop them shaking.

"Yes, I've seen it," she said through gritted teeth.

"Hmm…" Mathis murmured. "I would have thought that you might care _a bit_ more about this. After all, he _was_ the one who saved your collection last year from that _terrible_ intruder."

Marinette stiffened, remembering how Chat Noir had come to her room several months prior, carrying the garment bags that held both her Gala collection and Meesh's. Chat had told her of a masked person who had broken into their studio and would've destroyed their collections had he not been there to fight them off.

At the time, there hadn't been enough evidence to prove Mathis was behind it, but whether it had been Mathis himself or someone he hired, they remained convinced he was the one to blame.

"I mean, _of course_ I hope he's ok," Marinette said stiffly. "But I'm sure it'll all be fine. For all the media knows, it could have just been part of the Akuma attacks. Weirder things have happened."

"I don't know," Mathis said, shrugging. His expression might've been sympathetic if it had actually reached his eyes. "It all seems a bit strange to me, seeing as how nothing similar happened to Ladybug."

Marinette shrugged.

"Well, who knows?" she said dismissively, biting down on the many colorful retorts that ran through her head. "Listen, I have a lot I want to get done today. Is there something you need?"

Mathis sneered down at her. Clearly, he had been hoping to get more of a reaction from her about Chat Noir.

"No," he finally said after a long moment. "I'll be at my desk if you need to discuss anything."

Marinette nodded, without looking back up at him. After a moment, she saw him turn and walk away out of the corner of her eye.

Letting out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, Marinette gathered the thread in her lap and began to insert a new piece through the needle.

The tension she'd tried to ignore all morning was back again in full force. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get the image of Chat Noir helplessly fighting an invisible enemy out of her head. It took a tremendous amount of effort to try and focus back in on the pattern she was embordering.

"Hey, were you guys just talking about the Akuma attacks?" someone said, and Marinette looked around to see Meesh peering curiously over her own work. "Whatever was going on with Chat Noir seems pretty odd, right?"

Marinette frowned and opened her mouth to speak.

"Oh man, that footage was crazy!" Alec chimed in before she could reply. "I mean the guy went straight out of commission!"

"Oh, I suppose you both are doubting his abilities too, huh?" Marinette snapped, unable to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

"I didn't say that," Meesh said, surprised. "I just thought it all seems pretty weird. I mean, am I wrong?"

"No, something is definitely off," Alec nodded emphatically.

"It's not his fault!" Marinette clenched her garment's fabric tightly as she glared at them.

"But you have to look at the facts, Mar," Alec continued. "I mean, clearly something is wrong with him!"

"I can't hear this."

Marinette spun her stool around so her back was to her friends.

As much as their words irritated her, she held her tongue. She supposed _they_ at least didn't mean anything by it. Even if they, like everyone else, didn't have the advantage of knowing Chat Noir like she did, both Meesh and Alec had also grown up in other countries. They didn't have years of seeing him fight on their behalf; to them, he was just some intangible comic book figure come to life.

"Hey Mar?"

She jumped.

Meesh had come up beside her.

"Are you ok? You seem pretty upset."

"I'm fine," Marinette shrugged. What else could she say?

"Are you sure?" Meesh asked, dropping her voice and leaning forward slightly. "I mean I'm worried about Chat Noir too. But you know you can talk to me, right?"

"I –" Marinette opened her mouth hesitantly. Unfortunately, as much as she trusted Meesh as a friend, she could never share the truth. "I just have a lot of… work to get done."

Meesh gazed down at her with concern before finally nodding. Reaching out briefly to give Marinette's shoulder a gentle squeeze, she turned and made her way back to her desk.

Marinette sighed as she went back to her own work. But her eyes no longer saw the embroidery she held. Instead, the images of Chat, so helpless and in pain, kept replaying across her vision.

Clenching her jaw, she squoze her eyes shut and shook her head vehemently. No, she couldn't bear to think of it anymore, not while there was nothing she could do to help him. If she could just focus on her work for a little while longer, Adrien would be coming to get her, and she'd finally be able to leave.

But her efforts proved useless. Now that she had removed her earphones, she became increasingly aware that Chat Noir and the most recent attacks were all anyone in the studio was talking about.

"It's hard to say," she heard someone nearby mutter. "I mean it sounds like no one really knows what's going on."

"Have you seen the videos?" another voice responded.

"Yeah, it looks like the guy is having a mental break, right?"

"I dunno… I'm worried about him, you know?" a third voice chimed in. "What if something's happened to him and he can't help Ladybug anymore?"

Marinette grit her teeth, trying to tune out the conversations around her. Could no one talk about _anything_ else for even five minutes?

"Well this is two times in a row now that he's gone all weird like that. Ladybug's been lucky so far with defeating the Akumas by herself, but how long do we expect that luck to hold?"

"Don't get me wrong, I hope the guy comes out of this ok. I just don't think he's cut out for the superhero stuff anymore, you know?"

"Yeah, I mean how is some crackpot going to be able to save lives when he can't even save _himself?"_

"Well, I s'pose you _do_ have a point there."

"Let's face it, Chat Noir isn't useful to anyone like this."

"We need to be able to rely on the city's heroes, not be worried that they'll slip up. Someone could _die_ like that."

"Ladybug needs to move on to someone better."

"Yeah, I agree!"

"ENOUGH!"

The entire studio fell silent, turning to look at Marinette as she stood, breathing hard, before the group who had been talking. Her embroidery needle was still gripped tight in her hand.

"What's the matter with you people?!" she growled, her voice shaking with rage. "How _dare_ you talk about Chat Noir like that! He's spent half his life defending this city, defending people like _you_ every single day! And the second something happens, you're all ready to just turn your backs on him? To just reject him and say you want someone else for the role instead?"

"Marinette," one of the boys who had been speaking against Chat broke in. "All we're saying is that if someone is going to help protect everyone, he needs to be fully reliable."

"Yeah!" said another girl. "Ladybug deserves a partner who won't let her down like that! She needed his help and all he did was lay down for the Akuma to pummel them both."

"Ladybug figured it out!" Marinette said, advancing toward them. "They've been in much worse situations and they _always_ find a way to save everyone!"

"Not always," Mathis said from across the room. Everyone turned to look at him, so he shrugged and continued. "They haven't _always_ been able to set everything back to normal, and people have gotten hurt. I thought you would've been the last person to forget _that,_ Marinette."

She balled her fists tighter. The needle she held stabbed into the palm of her hand, but she hardly felt it over the rushing in her ears.

It was true, they hadn't always been able to miraculously restore everything – the scars hidden along her hairline where proof of that. If it weren't for Chat's sacrifices, she would be dead.

But how dare Mathis, of _all_ people, bring that up? If it hadn't been for his attack as the Puppet Master, _none_ of this would be happening. Chat would never have had to absorb the Akuma's darkness, and Adrien would not be suffering from the nightmares and hallucinations now.

Mathis' expression was unreadable as Marinette glared at him, though she thought she saw the smallest hint of amusement tug at the corner of his mouth.

"Regardless of what went down before, something really weird is going on now," someone finally said, drawing murmurs of agreement from their classmates. "If Ladybug hadn't been there, her sidekick would've been toast."

"And so would everyone else, for that matter."

"Chat Noir isn't Ladybug's _sidekick,_ they are _equals! Partners!"_ Marinette's voice rose to a shout as she spun back on them.

"Then she deserves a _better_ partner!"

"Marinette?" came a quiet voice from behind her.

Marinette whipped around and froze.

Adrien was standing just inside the studio door. From the look on his face, she could guess that he had heard more than enough of the argument.

"You about ready to go?" he said, putting on a pleasant smile.

To anyone else, he might look perfectly relaxed, but Marinette caught how the corners of his eyes tightened.

"Yeah," she said finally, nodding. "I just have a few things to clean up."

"Kay, I'll wait downstairs, then," he said, bowing his head and turning back towards the door to the stairwell.

Marinette watched him go, her heart clenching in her chest as she saw his shoulders droop. Then, shooting a venomous glance back at her silent classmates – Mathis was watching her with a raised eyebrow – she swiftly returned to her desk to gather her belongings.

The needle she had been gripping so tightly was lodged far deeper in her palm than she'd realized, and it went in at an unfortunate angle. Pain jolted sharply through her hand as she pulled it out, and a dull sore throbbing replaced it as a trickle of blood began to flow. Swinging her bag over her shoulder, she grabbed a small piece of scrap fabric and held it tightly to help staunch the bleeding.

The murmur of voices had returned as people began discussing the superheroes' troubles once more, but Marinette couldn't be bothered with them anymore.

Meesh and Alec offered her small smiles as she made her way towards the door. Meesh especially looked sympathetic.

Marinette gave them a farewell nod in return as she pushed the door open and hurried down the stairs.

Adrien stood leaning against the railing on the bottom landing. He offered her a small smile, which she might've returned had she not felt so sick with worry.

"So, _your_ day seemed a bit tense," he said lightly, pushing himself off the railing and moving to hold the door open for her. "People seem to be pretty upset about this whole Chat Noir thing, huh?"

"Adrien…" she sighed, following his lead and stepping outside.

"It's fine, Mar," he said shrugging. "Really, I've been hearing it all day."

"That doesn't make it fine," she retorted as they began walking through the quad. "I can't _believe_ the things people are saying!"

"Can't you?" Adrien shot her a sidelong look.

"Stop it," she snapped.

He shrugged but said nothing more.

"Are you sure you're up for tonight?" Marinette asked after a moment as he yawned. "You haven't exactly been able to rest much lately, maybe you should take it easy…"

Adrien paused thoughtfully.

"I want to go," he finally said with a resolute nod. "I could use a bit of normalcy in my life right about now."

* * *

 **Look at that! _ME?!_ Actually updating when I _said_ I would?! _AND_ in just a week instead of a year and a half like last time?! I dunno, seems fake.**

 **Haha I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! And never forget, I'm a slut for comments! ;D Love you all, and thank you SO MUCH for reading!**

 **PS: I also just got a brand spankin new computer! It definitely cost more than three months of my rent, but it's been a long time coming. The important thing is that I can FINALLY use my drawing tablet again and start making art to go with this story! Also (no promises) I'm seriously thinking about doing a short animation for one of the scenes from chapter 12... Keep an eye on the _#TWHU fic_ tag on Tumblr!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The venue that Nino was to perform at was conveniently near campus. The small old theater – location of hundreds, if not thousands, of plays and concerts over the years – stood on one side of a large courtyard. A grand fountain lay at the center of the courtyard, its water glistening in the soft beams of evening sunlight that streamed through the gaps between trees and buildings.

Marinette and Adrien made their way along the school's pathways towards a small corner restaurant that they frequented for study dates. The air was comfortably warm, as if the heat of summer was trying to make one last appearance before the weather officially cooled.

Marinette shot Adrien a sideways glance, trying to discern what was going on in his mind. There were dark circles under his eyes, and though he concealed it well, she could sense the tension coming off him.

"So…" she ventured, feeling out whether he wanted to talk about serious things or not. "How was _your_ day?"

Adrien shrugged.

"Shockingly normal," he said smoothly. And unhelpfully.

Marinette frowned as she waited for him to continue, but when he didn't, she pressed on.

"Well, _normal_ is completely subjective, so what does _normal_ look like for Adrien Agreste, superhero-slash-model."

Adrien sighed, giving her a look that said he knew exactly what she was getting at.

"Fine," he relented. "It was full of people complaining about how last night was a disaster, and how Chat Noir let everyone down. And then my father showed his face in the office for no other reason than to be snippy with me about disappearing before the dinner course had even been served. So, all in all, pretty _normal."_

He put on a forced smile as they waited for a group of people to pass in front of them.

Marinette bit her lip in frustration. Adrien's new blasé behavior wasn't fooling her.

"Adrien, you know they're all wrong about you, right?" she said finally, slowing to a stop on the sidewalk.

Adrien turned to look at her. His jaw tightened a little when he saw her expression.

"I'm alright, Mar," he said, with a shrug and another forced smile. "I couldn't care less about what they say, I'm just glad they're finally catching on."

"Catching on?" Marinette squinted at him suspiciously. "Catching on to _what,_ exactly?"

"To the fact that I, the shinning son of Gabriel Agreste, am absolutely useless," he chuckled humorlessly, avoiding her gaze as he turned to continue walking. "I mean it's about time, right? Maybe I _should_ consider retiring soon!"

"Adrien, this isn't something to joke about," Marinette said, her feet carrying her forward once more to follow him. "You deserve none of that garbage, and you know it."

"Don't I?" he called over his shoulder with a wry smile.

And with that, Marinette was done.

Lengthening her stride, she shot passed him and whirled to face him directly, cutting him off mid step.

"Enough!" she snapped.

Taken aback, Adrien froze as he looked down at her.

"Don't you _dare_ start thinking you deserve any of what they're saying!" she said, stepping right up to him and poking a finger into his chest. "You are incredible, and brave, and so strong. You've given so much for them, and they have no idea! But _I do!_ " Her voice shook a little. She could feel furious tears welling up, but she forced them away. "I've been defending how worthy you are to everyone else today, now _please_ don't make me fight you, too."

He stared at her as she glowered up at him.

She hated how he did this; after so many years of bottling up his emotions, there were always hurdles she needed to cross before he would open up. He had learned enough to _eventually_ take down his guard and actually talk to her, but not before trying to pretend that everything was fine. She knew the part of him that didn't want to put any burden on her would almost always be struggling with the part of him that wanted to be fully known and accept her help.

The longer she held his gaze, the more she saw his walls crumble. Finally, for the first time that evening, she saw his genuine emotions crack through the façade.

"I – I'm sorry," he said finally, reaching a hand up to sheepishly rub at the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, Marinette. You're right, I shouldn't be joking about it."

"It's not that you're joking about it," she countered. "It's that you're joking to cover up the fact that you've taken their words to heart. _That's_ what is pissing me off."

Adrien's expression darkened as he considered her words. For a moment she thought he might dispute her point, but finally his shoulders slumped in resignation.

"I suppose that's not… entirely… untrue," he said finally.

Marinette's anger began to melt as she stepped forward and pulled him into a hug.

Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, his cheek resting against the top of her head.

She could feel his heartbeat as she buried her face into his chest.

"When are you going to realize that I'm always right?" she said, her words muffled into his shirt.

Adrien let out a snort.

 _"Almost_ always," he said.

She smiled. "Ok fine, _almost_ always. But that's still pretty close to always!"

"Fair enough," Adrien pulled away to rub her arms affectionately as he gave her a grateful smile. "You're at least ninety percent right on this particular subject."

"Nope," she rolled her eyes. "I'm at a full one hundred percent on this one, and you can't change my mind."

Adrien's grin broadened at this, and he didn't try to argue further. Then, taking her hands, the scrap of fabric she'd been pressing into her palm finally caught his eye.

"Hey, wait. What's this?"

Raising her hand up to eye level, he frowned as he pulled the fabric away and discovered the place where the needle had punctured her. The skin was still flaming red, but the bleeding had mostly stopped.

"You're hurt?" he scolded, examining the mark closely.

"It's nothing," she sighed impatiently. "I'm fine, really."

He tore his gaze from her palm to shoot her a frustrated look.

"Oh, come on. You _know_ I've had worse than this," she snapped, trying to tug her hand back.

Adrien held tightly at her wrist.

"We fight supervillains on a near daily basis," he said with exasperation, "and yet you still manage to inflict injuries on _yourself_ doing schoolwork."

"In case you hadn't realized, any poise or grace I have as Ladybug is purely thanks to Tikki. I've always been a walking disaster outside the suit."

"That's not true!" he argued, but the incredulous look she threw him made him rethink his words. "Ok fine, that's not _completely_ true."

"Only mostly true," she said, nodding with finality.

Adrien rolled his eyes with a snort but didn't press the point.

Marinette was relieved to see some of his tension begin to fall away a little as they joked. It was a small victory, but she would take what she could.

"It's completely normal, you know," she said as they walked towards the restaurant's patio, her thoughts returning to their previous conversation. "To feel like you're… not enough."

Adrien sighed as they took their seats, but Marinette noticed that he had at least dropped his sardonic expression. She scooted her chair around the table so that she could sit closer beside him.

"I mean, you know more than anyone how much _I've_ struggle with that, right?" she pressed on.

The corner of Adrien's mouth twitched into a hesitant smile and he nodded.

"And do you remember how you always encouraged me, even when I was ready to completely give up on being Ladybug?"

"I _can_ be painfully optimistic," he snorted.

Marinette smiled.

"Yes, sometimes," she agreed. "But that doesn't mean that everything you said back then wasn't true. We've always had to do some incredibly difficult things, and I supposed we've been doing this long enough that it's easy to get tunnel vision."

She reached out and pulled Adrien's hand into hers.

"But the important thing is to remember who we are and what we fight for. The people of this city rely on us because we were chosen to do what they can't. And when it all feels like too heavy a burden to carry, please remember that you aren't in this alone."

"I know," Adrien nodded, his thumb running soft circles along the back of her hand. "I know that we're always going to be there for one another, I just…" he sighed again, scrunching his nose as he struggled to find the right words. "I guess… now that I know that Hawkmoth has this power over me… maybe that's what's been making it so easy to just give in to those dark thoughts."

Marinette's grip on his hand tightened.

A waiter approached their table with bread and olive oil.

Marinette gave him a grateful nod and quickly ordered a house wine and some hors d'oeuvres she knew they both liked.

Adrien said nothing while she did this, merely nodding in agreement when she glanced his way for approval. He took some vinegar that sat on their table and poured a bit into the oil.

When the waiter left, she said, "You know how Master Fu always talks about balance? How our Miraculous were made to be used in tandem, equal parts of the same powers. They must always be used together in one way or another, or else things fall out of alignment."

Adrien raised an eyebrow but nodded.

"Well, I think it's pretty obvious that the whole balance thing extends beyond what we do as Ladybug and Chat Noir. We have been friends… _partners…_ for so long that I feel like we have become as much a part of that balance as the power in the Miraculous, you know?"

She pulled one hand away from Adrien's to tear off a piece of bread and dip it pensively into the oil and vinegar, watching as the two substances created a swirled pattern on the plate.

"Adrien, you are the one who has held me in balance all this time," she said quietly, surprising even herself with the emotion in her voice. She inhaled a deep breath and continued. "You have always been there to pull me back into sync whenever something bad happens or when I'm doubting myself. When I've fallen apart, you held all my pieces together. You're like… my personal solid rock. From the very beginning, when I knew there was no way I could be a hero, you knew that I had what it took. You held me together and helped me become Ladybug. And… I just want you to know that I'm here for you in the same way you've always been there for me. I know that I can't fully understand the battle you've been forced to fight, but please know that I… I'm _always_ going to be by your side, to help you balance out that darkness and to help you fight."

Adrien's eyes softened as he stared at her, and she felt her face growing hot at the depth of her own words. Clearing her throat, Marinette turned to the menu, trying to make it seem like she was suddenly engrossed in the scrawling words, but not actually taking in anything they said.

"I know exactly what you mean," she heard Adrien say softly.

Before Marinette could respond, she found herself being wrapped into his arms.

"You _have_ always been there for me," he said, and she felt his warm breath as he buried his face into her hair. "Even from the beginning, when you didn't know me that well and had no reason to care, you were still there for me. You hold me together, too."

After another long moment, Adrien pulled back, his eyes brighter than they had been earlier.

Marinette smiled, running her hand affectionately down his arm.

The sun was setting below the city's horizon, and the clouds towering high above were painted with the pinks and golds of its last light.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Marinette exclaimed, tearing off another bite of bread. "You were trying to tell me something after you left your father's office last night, right?"

To her surprise, Adrien's face had darkened again, a crease appearing between his brows.

"What?" she asked, swallowing quickly and leaning towards him. "What happened? Was it something bad?"

But Adrien shook his head, taking a piece of bread for himself as he quickly schooled his features into a mask of unconcern.

"No, it's nothing," he said. "Don't worry about it."

Marinette gazed at him thoughtfully.

"Are you sure? You seemed pretty… I dunno, shaken?"

"Nah, it was just my father being his usual self," Adrien shrugged, though he still didn't quite meet her eye. "It doesn't really matter anymore."

"Ok…" Marinette said finally, though still not entirely convinced. "Suit yourself."

* * *

"Tonight's gonna be a good one, eh boys?" Nino said, grinning.

He, John, and Antoine were crossing the large square. It was full of people enjoying what promised to be one of the last warm evenings of the season.

"I'm really looking forward to doing that new song, Antoine," he continued. "It'll be a total hit!"

Antoine gave him a halfhearted smile, shrugging.

"Eh, I guess," he said, his attention turning to a couple young kids chasing each other around the large fountain.

Nino raised an eyebrow at John, who shrugged in response.

Antoine had been in a weird mood for days now. His enthusiasm during their rehearsal that afternoon had been rather lacking, and he wasn't nearly as jazzed as usual about their upcoming show. He hadn't said anything to either of them, but Nino could tell something was weighing on his mind.

"Seriously, you ok, man?" Nino asked, peering curiously at him.

Antoine shrugged again, not meeting his eye.

"Yeah, totally," he said flatly.

Nino frowned. As they neared the fountain, he turned to John.

"Hey man, you want to go ahead and make sure everything's ready?" he gave John a meaningful look.

John nodded, understanding passing across his face.

"No problem! See you guys in a bit."

He hurried off, weaving between groups of wandering people before disappearing into the theater.

Antoine gave Nino a confused look as he steered them towards the fountain and pulled him down to sit at the edge of the water.

"Ok, talk," Nino said, gazing expectantly at him.

Antoine frowned before turning away and shaking his head.

"It's really nothing. You don't need to make a big deal of it."

"Oh, _I'm_ not make a big deal of it," Nino said lightly, leaning back on his hands. The marble beneath his palms was flecked with water droplets. "But whatever 'it' is, it's clearly dragging on you, and I want to make sure my friend is _actually_ ok before he has to entertain hundreds of people."

He gave Antoine a sideways look.

Antoine gritted his teeth. After a long moment, though, his shoulders slumped. Leaning forward onto his knees, he turned his head to look at Nino.

"I'm sorry, man, I guess I've just been in a weird headspace lately."

"Weird how?" Nino asked, frowning.

He waved a hand in the air, trying to find the right words.

"I dunno, it's like… I'm not sure if I really get much joy out of doing these concerts anymore."

He avoided Nino's gaze.

Nino said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

"Like… I still enjoy doing music, but this just doesn't feel like what I want to do anymore. I feel like I don't know where I want to go in life, but regardless it isn't this."

Nino nodded, leaning his head back to look up at the towering clouds high above them. The last rays of sunlight framed them in brilliant gold. A gentle breeze picked up some of the spray from the fountain, blowing a soft mist onto the back of his neck and arms.

"I'd been wondering if you were feeling that way," Nino said finally. "I mean, I know you've still been writing songs and all, but lately it just felt like your heart wasn't in it as much as it used to be."

"That's fair," Antoine said, his voice full of resignation. "I guess it's just hard for me to imagine what else I could be doing with my life. Like, we've been doing this since high school. This is what I know how to do. So, does that mean I've already put myself into a corner?"

Nino gave a snort.

Antoine turned to him again, his eyes reproachful, but Nino just reached out to clap him lightly on the back.

"Dude, are you serious?" Nino said with a grin. "You're one of the most talented people I know! You can do whatever you set your sights on."

Antoine let out an irritated huff, rolling his eyes at Nino's words.

"Are you sure you're not just talking about yourself?" he asked.

Nino listed his head, frowning.

"I mean," Antoine continued. "You have all these amazing dreams, plus the skills to meet them. You just got signed for that movie soundtrack, for crying out loud! You seem like you have everything figured out and I just… I want to know what that feels like."

Sighing, Nino leaned forward to mirror Antoine's posture.

"Dude, I don't have _shit_ figured out," he said.

Antoine glanced at him, incredulous.

"I know it seems like I do, but it's true!" Nino insisted. "I mean I've always wanted to do music and movies, but do you seriously think there aren't times where I wonder if I'm doing it all wrong and need to be pursuing something else?"

"You always seem so happy to be doing what you do, though," Antoine argued, his hands balling into fists. "You seem to love all the traveling and the performing, and I… I _used_ to enjoy it, but I can't get on that same level anymore. Don't get me wrong, I still love visiting new people and places! I've always loved making music, so this just seemed the most obvious path. But it just doesn't feel as fulfilling, I suppose. Like we crossed that line of 'making it big' and now what else is there to achieve?"

"Duh, selling out the biggest stadiums in the world?"

"Ha-ha-ha," Antoine deadpanned. "As incredible as that is, it's not quite the sense of achievement I think I need."

"I get it," Nino said, shooting him a grin. "You've always been one to shy away from the things a lot of people might find superficial."

"I don't even know if I can call it that," Antoine shrugged. "I think it's more about having set goals to reach, obstacles to overcome… something tangible to work towards."

"Well then," Nino hedged. "When was the last time you felt that sense of achievement?"

Antoine inhaled deeply, lifting his gaze up to the sky as he thought.

"I dunno… I've been teaching my cousin to play her guitar these last few months, and that's been pretty rewarding."

"Have you given professionally teaching people music any thought before?"

"Not seriously," Antoine tilted his head thoughtfully. "I don't think it's ever really crossed my mind. I mean I had a lot of fun with it before, and it was totally amazing to see her get better and have that fresh excitement about it… but what if that isn't right for me either? What if I get bored, or stop liking it? What if I end up right back here not knowing what I want to do with my –"

 _"Dude,_ you're overthinking this," Nino broke in, stifling a chuckle. "You're treat all of this as if any decision you make will be the end-all be-all. But what's stopping you from trying out a whole bunch of different things?"

"But how do I even start something like teaching?" Antoine asked, running an exasperated hand through his hair.

"I think the only thing stopping you is your fear of failure," Nino supplied, slowly considering his words. "It's like… you've got it in your head that everything in life has to be linear, and that if you go down one path then that means you suddenly block off all the other paths. And I think _that_ is what you need to forget about."

"How will I even know if teaching will make me happy?"

"The only way you can know that is just giving it a shot. And if it turns out that teaching also isn't the right fit, then what's to stop you from moving on to something new? You just gotta keep moving forward, man. Even if you do something and it doesn't fulfill all your expectations, at least you're still living life! And someday, after you've tried all these new things, maybe you'll be able to look around and realize that's where you're supposed to be. And if you hadn't tried all those things then you might have never discovered it."

Looking around at Antoine, Nino could see a sardonic smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Damn. You should be a motivational speaker with speeches like that."

Nino snorted and elbowed him in the ribs.

"I'm serious, man!" he said as they both laughed. "I know it sounds like some gushy, optimistic bumper sticker or something, but really the best thing you can do in life is follow your joy. Follow your joy by trying new things, and then share that joy with others where you can. Don't give up on yourself."

Antoine shook his head, but the grin he wore was genuine.

"Thanks," he said after a long moment. "I appreciate your trying to help. I'm sorry for how off I've been lately."

"No worries," Nino shrugged. "We all had a feeling you were dealing with some stuff. I'm just glad you finally decided to talk about it."

They sat there for several quiet minutes, listening to the conversations and laughter around them. Another breeze blew mist onto Nino's back, and he relished the cool feeling.

"It's getting late," Antoine finally said. "We should probably get going. Don't want John going out onstage by himself."

"Ah, I'm sure he'll be fine," Nino waved his hand, grinning. "He'll probably have so much fun that he'll decided he needs to go solo."

"Let's not feed his ego _that_ much," Antoine laughed.

Standing up from the fountain, they moved to leave when a familiar voice called out across the square.

"Nino!"

Turning, Nino spotted Adrien and Marinette sitting at one of the patio tables of a nearby restaurant. They waved and smiled as a waiter dropped off their bill.

Nino and Antoine returned the wave.

"Why don't you go on ahead," Nino said, sitting down once more on the fountain's ledge and leaning back on his hands. "I'm going to say hi to those guys real quick, it'll only be a minute. You can go help John make sure everything's alright if you'd like."

Antoine nodded.

"Tell them 'hi' from me," he said before jogging off to the theater.

Nino let out a long breath, wishing he could do more to help Antoine. There had been plenty of times in his own life where he'd been stuck with similar doubts about his choices, but at least Alya had always been there to help talk him through things.

"Those were some very wise words," said a voice beside him.

Turning, Nino found a tiny old man standing a few feet away from him, smiling kindly. He wore a bright floral shirt and his arms were fully occupied with brown paper bags full of groceries.

"Pardon?"

"Forgive my eavesdropping," the man said, taking a step closer. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with your friend. It is very kind of you to encourage him like that."

Nino couldn't help but grin.

"Thank you, Monsieur," he said, sitting up straighter. "I'm just glad I was able to talk him through some stuff."

"It is hard for everyone to navigate the many different paths that life takes us on," the man said, nodding sagely. "It is important to have good friends to help you through it, and it is clear to me that you are, indeed, a very good friend. The people close to you are certainly fortunate to have you to rely on."

"That's very kind of you," Nino grinned, feeling heat flood his cheeks at such high praise. "I'm Nino by the way."

"It is good to meet you, Nino," the man said, returning his smile. "My name is –"

"Master Fu?"

Turning, Nino saw that Adrien and Marinette had finished paying for their meal and were now standing beside them, looking curiously between himself and the man.

"Do you two know each other?" Marinette asked, smiling as she stepped forward to quickly peck Nino on the cheeks.

"Not officially," the man said, smiling benignly. "We were just getting acquainted by chance."

"What a coincidence!" Adrien said with a grin. "Master Fu has been a… well, a sort of life coach to both Marinette and I for years now."

Nino noticed that Adrien was sporting dark circles under his eyes.

"Really?" he turned curiously to look at the man. "What kind of life coach?"

"Well, certainly not one you seem to need," Master Fu said, shooting him a conspiratorial look. "It sounds like you have quite some words of wisdom under your own belt."

Nino laughed.

"Only for my friends. I myself can always use whatever advice I can get."

"And that, in itself, is an excellent form of wisdom," Fu grinned. "Well, I'd better be off. Can't let this butter pecan gelato go to waste!"

"Yes, I'd better get going as well," Nino said, standing up and realizing that he towered over the tiny man. "I'm playing that theater tonight, and my bandmates are waiting for me."

"We'll stop by for tea soon, Master," Marinette said.

Though her words sounded light, Nino thought he saw an oddly grave expression cross her face. But when he looked more closely, her light smile had returned.

"My door is always open. And that goes for you as well, Nino," Fu said, turning to him. "I would greatly look forward to speaking with you more in the future. I'm sure there are… _many_ things we could discuss."

"I look forward to it," Nino said, smiling and ducking his head in a quick bow of farewell. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Master Fu."

"The honor was all mine."

Master Fu shifted the bags in his arms to wave goodbye.

As he raised his arm, Nino caught sight of a familiar jade bracelet tied around his wrist. He froze, staring at it.

There was a glint of secret amusement in Master Fu's eyes as he turned to leave, tucking his bracelet out of sight once again.

And as Nino made his way towards the theater with Marinette and Adrien, he had the sneaking suspicion that his friends were getting much more than simply "life coaching" from the old man.

* * *

The air inside the theater pulsed with loud music from one of the opening bands as Marinette led Adrien through the lobby.

Nino had parted with them at the entrance, hurrying backstage to join his band.

As they rounded a corner, Adrien spotted the stage raised above a large cheering crowd. Fog and bright colored lights flashing through the otherwise darkened hall, giving the performers a neon glow.

Marinette tugged him forward, her fingers entwined with his. She wove a path through the crowd and up to the front where it was standing room only. Finally coming to a stop, she let out a whoop and raised her arms to start swaying in time with the music.

Adrien gazed around, taking it all in.

The air was hot and humid, thick with a range of floral scents. A bar in one of the back corners was advertising a range of cocktails, and hundreds of people pressed in tightly together, some carrying drinks as they danced.

The band on stage was made up of four women wearing eclectic outfits that dripped with shimmering jewelry. Two of them were singing in a language he didn't know.

The final notes of their last song rang through the hall, replaced quickly by a tidal wave of cheers. The performers bowed to them all before moving off stage. The cheering continued, pulsating in Adrien's ears until it crescendoed to a deafening volume as Nino and his bandmates came into view.

Beside him, Marinette jumped into the air and waved her arms, shouting her praise.

Nino flashed a grin at the crowd. He pulled his keyboard into position at the front microphone.

"How's everybody doing tonight?" he asked, his voice magnified to echo through the room.

He was met with a fresh wave of enthusiastic screams.

"We're gonna play you a few of our songs," he continued as he thrummed a few melodic notes. "We hope you'll like them!"

A momentary hush fell over the room, broken by a couple scattered _whoops,_ before Nino brought both hands down on the keys and filled the space with an upbeat rhythm. Once again, the hall erupted with screams and hollers of approval as people began jumping and dancing to the music.

Adrien and Marinette were pushed tighter together as the crowd surged forwards in excitement, drawing them closer to the stage.

Looking down at her, Adrien grinned as Marinette paid no mind to the tight space – she was using the little room they had to dance along with everyone else.

His eyes were drawn the curves of her waist and the entrancing way her dark hair caught the lights. Her cheeks flushed with excitement and her soft lips were turned into a beaming smile, dazzling him.

 _'How is she so beautiful?'_ he thought, momentarily in awe that he had her in his life.

Everything weighing on his shoulders seemed to evaporate as he focused on her. The joy she exuded was contagious.

He reached a hand out to wrap around her other side and pull her into a spin.

Marinette gave a squeak of surprise before dissolving into laughter as she caught on to what he was doing. Taking hold of one of his fingers, she lifted their hands high up and allowed him to spin her again, twice, three more times before draping her arms over his shoulders.

Adrien placed his hands on her hips, his fingers brushing along the soft, warm skin where her shirt rode up. He pulled her close, enjoying the feel of her against him and grinning as she closed her eyes and flowed with the music. For the first time in days, he forgot the troubles that awaited them outside. In that moment, the only thing he let himself focus on was the woman he had given his whole heart to.

As song after song played, they danced together in the little space they shared, beaming whenever they caught each other's eye.

"Hey!" Marinette called to him after a while, raising her voice for him to hear her above the music. "Can you bend your knees for a sec?"

"Wha- why?" he inquired, tilting his head in confusion.

"Just do it!"

"… Ok?"

Adrien did as he was told, lowering himself until he was at eye level with her.

She regarded him thoughtfully for a moment before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around his neck. Her fingers laced into his hair as she closed her eyes and pressed her lips against his.

He melted into her touch.

Her breath was soft and warm on his mouth, and his whole body tingled as he returned the kiss. He tightened his own arms around her waist and straightened, pulling her against him as her feet left the ground.

Marinette laughed, breaking the kiss and drawing back a little to look at him.

Adrien returned her smile before burying his face in her neck. He inhaled deeply and held her there for a long moment before setting her back down again.

"I don't know what I've ever done to deserve you," he murmured into her ear. "But I hope you know I'm more thankful to have you in my life than I could ever put into words."

"You've never had to do anything to deserve me, _mon chaton,"_ she hummed back, reaching her thumb up to gently caress his cheek. "You've always underestimated how truly good you are, you know that? You deserve every happiness in the world just by being yourself."

Adrien shook his head but allowed himself a small smile.

"I love you," he whispered, knowing she could read the words on his lips.

"I love you too," she said, her own words drowned out by loud cheers as Nino's band pounded the last chords of a song before immediately jumping into the next one.

They held each other tightly. Her head rested against his chest as they swayed slowly in place, ignoring whatever tempo the crowd was dancing to as the music thrummed around them.

Adrien had no idea how long they stayed like that, safe in each other's arms, but a sudden buzz from his pocket pulled him back to the present. Reaching to retrieve his phone, he checked it over Marinette's head, careful to not disturb her as they continued to sway.

The message was from Master Fu. It seems he had been able to set up Adrien's travel plans faster than expected – his flight to Tibet would depart in a little over one week's time.

Once again, Adrien's mind was flooded with doubt.

There was a part of him that deeply regretted not just telling Marinette everything he had learned about his father and the Peafowl Miraculous. It would have been so easy, and he knew that telling her would likely release of some of the burden.

But Master Fu had been right; Marinette _had_ theorized that his father was Hawkmoth all those years ago. So, if he told her everything now, she likely would come to a similar conclusion once more.

He knew it might be unwise to keep Marinette in the dark, but this just hit far too close to home. What if she jumped right into action? What if she went immediately to his father's office, demanding he hand the Miraculous over? What if she took him directly to the police under the possibility that he was aiding Hawkmoth? For that, he was not ready. He needed solid proof before he could bring himself to accuse his father of such villainy.

No, he could not tell her, not yet. Adrien needed to discover the truth on his own first.

* * *

 **Lol can you see where I had a self-therapy sesh with my writing in this chapter?**

 **This was a pretty calm one in the midst of... well, everything that has happened and (no spoilers) everything that's coming, so I hope you guys enjoyed it! To the handful of you still reading my stuff after a million years of hiatus, thank you so much for sticking with me!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **SCRATCH THE CAT: CHAT NOIR CALLED 'CATACLYSMIC' TO THE CITY'S SAFETY**

Paris is in uproar as critical attentions turn to one of our long-time protectors. Dozens of civilian witnesses to recent Akuma attacks have expressed concern for Chat Noir's mental state. On multiple occasions – the earliest going back to September, when the 'Beau Constrictor' terrorized an annual dinner party hosted by esteemed fashion designer, Monsieur Gabriel Agreste – the masked hero has been seen halting in his attacks, often clutching his head or collapsing unresponsive to the ground.

"He's fine!" Ladybug had said in reply to questions after the Beau Constrictor's rampage. "That was just part of [the Akuma's] attack, you know the legends with Medusa and snake charming and stuff, he was just suffering a mental attack no one could see!"

But despite Ladybug's claims that all is well, reports have shown a pattern that has many suspecting this strange behavior was not an isolated incident. The morning following that initial demonstration showed a repeat of Chat Noir's disturbing episode. In another attack, eyewitnesses recount how Ladybug had struggled to fight off the Akuma called 'Plagiaress,' screaming desperately for Chat to help her while he lay curled up and useless.

"It was scary," an anonymous witness told us after the battle. "I thought my son and I were going to have to watch Ladybug get killed right before our eyes, while the only person there who could help her did absolutely nothing."

For much of the last decade, our city has grown comfortable in the knowledge that, no matter how violent or devastating an Akuma attack may be, our heroic duo would always be able to set things right in the end. But this common knowledge was torn to shreds last January, when Marinette Dupain-Cheng – an aspiring designer attending the International Fashion Academy – was put into a coma after being caught in an attack. L'Hotel du Collationer – the location of her class' annual Student Exhibition Gala – and the street outside sustained lasting damages after the 'Puppet Master' raged through.

"[We have] been under the impression that our superheroes could always take care of everything," says Madeline Linwright, a local museum curator and eyewitness to yet another of Chat Noir's episodes during the attack of the 'Songbird' just two days ago. "But that's not true, is it? A girl ended up in the hospital last winter because our heroes weren't paying attention and couldn't defeat the Akuma in time. So, who's to say it won't happen again because Chat Noir is slacking off?"

Many are calling for the cat to turn in his mask and demanding that Ladybug find someone more stable to be her sidekick. While there are still plenty who argue in Chat Noir's defense, enough believe that the people of our city and their well-being should be a top priority. As another anonymous witness said, "If our heroes can't protect us, who will?"

* * *

Alya frowned as she scrolled through her phone, closing one eye as if it would soften the blow of what she read.

Every news channel coming across her feed was full of similar articles. The consensus seemed to accuse Chat Noir of negligence when it came to protecting the civilians of Paris.

Her jaw clenched as she thought of how unfair their accusations were. After watching Chat Noir spend the last decade fighting to protect them all from countless attacks, seeing everyone suddenly turn against him brought a foul taste to her mouth. She, having fought beside him on numerous occasions, knew more than most how dedicated he was to fighting their enemies. Even though she'd always looked up to Ladybug most, Chat had a level of care and empathy that no one could hope to touch. He was always ready to sacrifice himself for others. And while some might consider that rash or reckless, in her eyes it more than qualified him to be one of the city's saviors.

Besides, he was _nobody's "_ sidekick."

"Excuse me, are you in line?"

A voice beside her made Alya jump. Looking up from her phone, she saw a disgruntled older man raise his eyebrows expectantly.

"Oh, yes I'm sorry!" she said, realizing that it was her turn to step up to the barista and order. She quickly did so and moved aside to wait.

It only took a minute or two before they called her name. She gathered up her cappuccino and a paper bag containing a scone, and made her way to the door.

The afternoon was brisk as sunlight filtered through the yellowing leaves of the trees. It was the first cool day of the season, the promise of Autumn whispering in each gentle breeze. Paris had gotten its first real frost the night before, and though most of the flowers had suffered for it, Alya was welcoming the change after such a blazing Summer.

She made her way to a small rickety table near the sidewalk. Her class was in less than an hour, but the building was nearby, and she was looking forward to a brief moment of calm. On top of the news being a huge source of tension, her first round of midterms had her ready to start tearing her hair out – she half expected to develop an ulcer any day now.

Resting her bag on the ground beside her chair, she pulled out the scone and placed it on a napkin. She took a sip of the cappuccino and pushed all her frantic and jumbled thoughts to the back of her mind, focusing on how the cloud of foam tickled her lips; how the smooth, bold espresso flowed over her tongue, and left a hot trail down her throat. Pinching off a small, flakey bit of scone, she dipped it into the cup and popped the buttery pastry into her mouth.

She could feel herself entering a place of peace as her shoulder muscles began to relax.

A trio of young children were playing in the large stone courtyard beside her and the café. Their similarities made her think that they must be siblings. She could see no adults present to watch over them and assumed their parents must be in one of the nearby shops running errands.

The eldest boy – maybe eleven or twelve years old – was bouncing a ball several feet into the air by spiking it to the ground. His sister – who could have been his twin – would try to punt it back to him using her forearms together as if it were a volleyball. Their younger brother was running around them, one of his shoes coming untied, giggling and trying to kick the ball back whenever they shot it too far. Which was quite often.

Alya grinned as she watched them. They reminded her of her younger sisters when they were children. Taking another bite of her scone, she sighed happily.

It was then that she felt it.

A slight tremor vibrated her cup on the table. Looking at it, she saw the espresso ripple as a second shudder came. It was small enough that most people nearby didn't react; only a few paused to look around, frowning in confusion.

The eldest boy was one of them. He halted his toss as his smile disappeared, his eyes finding Alya's as she stared back at him, waiting…

Seconds stretched on as nothing happened. The few people who had stopped what they were doing shook their heads and carried on. The girl and the youngest boy were laughing and calling to their brother to throw the ball already.

He stayed frozen, gazing at Alya.

She could feel herself tensing up again, all sense of calm lost as everything inside her screamed that something was wrong.

A low rumble pulsed through the ground, loud enough to halt everyone in their tracks. With a deafening _CRACK_ , the courtyard split. Massive slabs of stone rocketed skyward, sending great clouds of dust and debris into the air. From the gaping chasm, great vines as thick as trains heaved out of the earth. More vines emerged all down the street, several punching through the walls of the surrounding buildings.

 _'An Akuma,'_ Alya realized grimly.

Screams filled the air as a hailstorm of cobblestones rained down. One the size of a phonebook narrowly missed Alya as she ducked underneath her small table, clutching her bag to her chest. Coughing, she frantically peered through the gloom, trying to see where the kids had ended up. It looked like one of the largest vines had launched right through the center of their game.

The street's destruction had been so explosive that all noises were muffled by the ringing in her ears. As she strained to catch any sign of them, she barely made out what could only be a child's crying. Throwing caution to the wind, Alya sprang out from her table, slung her bag over her shoulders and hurried out into what used to be the courtyard.

The girl and the youngest boy were huddled together near a wall, caked in a thick layer of dust. The boy was crying, his tears leaving muddy tracks down his cheeks.

Alya stumbled over to them, flinching as another small earthquake shook the ground. There was a fresh round of screaming in the distance. Falling to her knees, she held her hands out to them.

"Are you guys ok?" she inquired, her voice sounding distant to her still-ringing ears.

The girl looked at her with wide frightened eyes.

"P-Peter…" she stammered. "He is… we were separated. He shouted that he was going to find Mom, but I-I didn't see what happened to him…"

"Is Peter your brother?" Alya asked urgently, straightening up a little to scan the area for the third boy. Seeing nothing, her stomach twisted, but she turned back to the other two and asked, "What are your names?"

"Kahlah," the girl said, her voice small. "This is Rory."

"Ok, Kahlah, my name is Alya. Where is your mom?"

"M-mom was in the bodega across the street," Kahlah said, blinking back tears.

Another rumble shook the ground beneath their feet, triggering more screams along their block.

Looking around, Alya tried to discern any safe way to get the two children to the other side of the street; a huge slab of the road had been erected like a wall, and vines bared any other option they might've had. As she tried to think, the vines began to writhe.

"Come on!" Alya said, gesturing for them to take her hands. "We need to get somewhere safe, hurry!"

"B-but Peter isn't back y-yet–" Kahlah stammered, sounding beside herself with fear.

"I know!" Alya insisted. "But it _really_ isn't safe to wait here, alright? I'll help you find him and your mom when things calm down a little, I promise!"

Kahlah finally nodded, and they both took hold of her hands.

Alya scooped Rory up with one arm so that he wouldn't trip over his shoelace. With her other hand, she gripped Kahlah's tightly and hurried them back towards the café. One of the waiters was standing just inside the door. When he saw them, he opened it and gestured wildly for them to hurry. They rushed past him and joined a dozen other people huddling in kitchen.

It was dim, the only light coming from a door opened to the back alley. Alya realized that the power must have been cut off by the vines tearing up half the street. She knelt onto the tiled floor beside one of the large industrial fridges and settled Rory into her lap as Kahlah tucked her face into Alya's neck.

"Shhh shh, it's ok," she reassured them softly, running her fingers through Kahlah's hair. She could feel Rory's silent tears wetting the front of her shirt.

Looking around, she recognized the café's staff, but most were quite obviously other civilians who had just been out enjoying their day. One older woman sitting on a stool beside the back door held a couple paper grocery bags.

A tremor shook the building, pulling a few gasps from the group.

"Don't worry," said an older gentleman with a moustache and staff apron. "I made sure to have my shop reinforced to withstand high-level earthquakes after it was caught in an attack a few years ago. I doubt even a _dragon_ could take it down now."

A couple people chuckled, including Alya. To someone from anywhere else in the world, his remark might sound like a joke; but to the people of Paris – who had literally seen at least two actual dragons in the last decade – it was a mere statement of reassuring fact.

"See? It's going to be ok," Alya murmured to Kahlah and Rory. "In fact, I bet it's all going to be over soon, you know?"

Kahlah peered up at her, unshed tears in her dark eyes.

"I'm not joking," Alya continued. "This is exactly the kind of thing that Ladybug and Chat Noir are experts at taking care of. Do you guys like Ladybug?"

Rory nodded, mumbling a watery, "Mmhmm."

"I like Chat Noir," Kahlah said quietly.

"Me too," Alya said, but her words were drowned out by a derisive scoff coming from a few feet away.

A man leaned forward to frown at them.

"Oh please," he said in response to Alya's sharp glare. "The guy's a total failure. The way he's been screwing up these last few weeks? It's only a matter of time before that useless pretty boy gets someone killed."

Alya opened her mouth to give him a biting retort, but before she could say anything there came angry rebukes from the rest of the group.

"C'mon, dude," said the younger man sitting across from Alya.

"Seriously?" came a woman's voice. "Now is not the time."

"What?" The guy looked around indignantly at everyone's reproachful looks. "Haven't you idiots been watching the news? That guy is totally not good enough for Ladybug. _Or_ for us!"

"Nobody asked you," hissed the woman with the groceries.

He clenched his hands into angry fists.

"I'm just sharing an opinion! Are we not civil enough here to tolerate other people's opinions, now?!"

Another tremble ran through the building. Small bits of dust and plaster trickled down upon them.

Rory clung tighter to Alya.

"If you think being civil is making a couple of kids feel bad during a scary situation," Alya snapped, "then you can take your _civility_ outside with the Akuma."

She shifted around a little so her shoulder was to the man.

Kahlah, her face screwed up in fear, still managed to stick her tongue out at him before turning back. That, at least, seemed to shut him up for the moment.

Alya beamed at her.

"Well," she continued as if there had been no interruption, "I like Chat Noir, too. Did you know that I'm actually _friends_ with them both?"

Kahlah and Rory's eyes widened as they gazed up at her.

"It's true! I was the first person to meet them when they defeated that very first Akuma _years_ ago! I ran a blog all about them, so I got to interview them all the time, and –" she lowered her voice to a mock whisper, "– I even helped them save the day a bunch of times!"

"Oh! You're the Ladyblogger?" the young man sitting across from them exclaimed. "I knew you looked familiar! I used to read your blog _religiously!"_

Alya laughed.

"Yep! Which is why I can say with total confidence that Chat Noir is one of the greatest and most reliable super heroes there has ever been."

 _"Wow!"_ breathed Rory, his eyes going even more round as his and Kahlah's fear slowly started to eb.

"It's true," a voice beside them said. "He really is one of the best superheroes this world has ever seen."

Alya looked up to see a tiny old man wearing a cheerful Hawaiian shirt move to sit cross-legged on the floor beside them. His grey hair was balding, but his eyes were bright as he sipped at coffee from one of the café's white mugs.

"I have been doing my research on the Miraculous holders throughout history for quite some time, now," he told the children. "And I can assure you that there is no one better to save us from villains than the Chat Noir and Ladybug out there right now."

Alya eyed him curiously.

"Really?" she asked. "I have done quite a bit of research myself, I would love to hear about what you've managed to learn!"

The old man looked knowingly up at her, his eyes twinkling.

"I would very much enjoy speaking with you, Mlle. Césaire. I'm sure we could come up with many interesting things to talk about."

"Wait…" Alya said, stiffening. "How do you know my –?"

"Kahlah?" a voice cried from the front of the café. "Rory, are you in here?!"

"Mommy!" Rory yelled, sitting up on Alya's knee as he and his sister turned to voice.

 _"Rory?!"_

A woman, who looked so much like her children, appeared in the kitchen doorway, stricken with panic.

 _"Oh, thank goodness!"_ she exclaimed, hurrying over and falling to her knees as Kahlah and Rory jumped from Alya's lap and into her arms. "I was so worried, I thought… wait, where is your brother?"

Kahlah and Alya exchanged a look.

 _"Where is Peter?"_ their mother demanded, going even paler than before.

"I don't know," Kahlah said, her voice small. "We lost him when the vines came. I thought he'd be with you?"

Looking into their mother's terrified eyes, Alya's stomach dropped.

Peter was still out there.

* * *

Chat Noir's heart pounded as he sprinted along the rooftops.

The Akuma loomed on the city's skyline before him, a writhing mass of vines that moved like the tentacles of some monstrous, thorny octopus. At the center of the largest vine cluster, whole fields of enormous flowers were growing, their poisonously bright buds erupting and releasing toxic-looking clouds of pollen.

Chat sighed wearily as he neared the monster. If he had been running on fumes a week ago, the last few days of attacks and sleepless nights had taken nearly everything out of him.

"'Nother day, 'nother monster," he muttered, whirling his staff around to launch himself over a few more buildings.

"Chat Noir!"

He turned to see Ladybug swing up from the street to meet him.

Ducking behind a large chimney, they peeked around cautiously to survey the scene before them.

Many of the surrounding streets and buildings displayed apocalyptic levels of destruction. Massive trenches had been left by the vines all along the roads, and several buildings looked on the verge of collapsing.

"Have you found anything?" he asked, looking to her as she stared up at the flowers.

Ladybug nodded.

"This is the head florist of a shop a couple blocks down. Her assistant said that he'd accidentally left a flower shipment for a wedding outside last night, and the frost destroyed most of it. His manager went into a state of panic and that's when things went downhill."

Chat Noir nodded grimly.

"Any idea where the damned thing is?"

"Apparently they had been making flower crowns," Ladybug said, glancing up at him. "Her assistant thinks he saw it go into one of the crowns she'd been holding."

"Ok, so we need to find a tiny crown in all of… _this?"_ he raised his masked eyebrows at her, gesturing at the many, _many_ vines and flowers stretching out at least half a mile before them. "This is… going to take a while."

"Look!" Ladybug said suddenly, pointing back at the immense flowers.

Chat followed her gaze, frowning until he spotted what she was referring to.

At the center of all the flowers, one large bloom had opened up like some ethereal fae throne. A woman with sickly blue skin sat upon it. Her clothes were rotten-looking black leaves, and a contrastingly bright flower crown was perched on her wild hair, the blossoms interlaced with needle-like thorns. She looked out at the world before her as if she was some mournful queen surveying her kingdom.

"Three guesses where the Akuma is hiding," Chat Noir murmured, eyeing the crown. Even from their distance, he could see the impossibly long spikes extending from it. "Ok, so what's the plan, M'lady?"

"You distract, I go in at the first opportunity," Ladybug said. The calmness in her voice was strangely reassuring.

"You got it," Chat said, spinning his staff a couple times before preparing to leap off the rooftop.

"Hey Chat?"

"Yeah?"

He turned to see her watching him and recognized the concerned set of her mouth immediately.

"Are you sure you're up for this? You look… well…"

"Yeah, I'm good," he shrugged. Part of him was truly touched at her concern; he appreciated having such a caring and attentive partner in his life. But his exhaustion wasn't letting him feel much other than a strong desire to go take a nap. "I'll be better once all this is done."

Ladybug stared at him for another long moment before nodding.

"Ok then, if you're sure… Let's do this."

And with that, they launched off the rooftop in unison.

Ladybug disappeared between the buildings, and Chat knew that she was planning to flank around to the side while he held the Akuma's attention.

"Oi!" he yelled, perching on one of the higher chimneys before the Akuma. "Did you know there are legal consequences for the destruction of private property, you overgrown houseplant?"

The side of his mouth twisted into a grimace; his quips had not been anywhere near his usual standards as of late, but that was hardly his biggest problem right now.

The Akuma turned to him, glowering.

"My own property was damaged," she said, her voice hissing and overlapping on itself, as if was being projected from each of the giant flowers surrounding her. "My precious ones lost their lives because of carelessness, so why should I care for what others might lose?"

"You were hurt because someone else made a mistake," Chat shouted back, carefully watching the writhing vines snake towards him out of the corner of his eye. "You shouldn't cause more pain and destruction just because you yourself are hurting. That becomes a vicious, never-ending cycle of destruction, and I can't imagine you'd want that when you know how it feels."

"People are the ones who destroy!" the Akuma hissed sharply. "They are the ones at the root of the problem, not my defenseless babies!"

"I'd hardly call a vine that can level a building in ten seconds flat 'defenseless,'" Chat shrugged, but the Akuma didn't seem to be listening.

"That is why," she continued, "I am creating a world where there is no more senseless pain and destruction. A world where nature can exist in harmony, where the pollution that is mankind won't profit from killing the very things that give them life. I am the Oasis that will give our planet a thousand millennia of peace!"

Chat would have expressed his hearty agreement for cultivating the survival and protection of nature, but he never got the chance.

The vines that had been leisurely surrounding him struck in that moment, forcing him to leap out of the way to avoid their spindly thorns. He ran, bounding from rooftop to rooftop, frantically avoiding the attacking vines by mere inches as they attempted to skewer him.

He barely had the thought of, _'Please hurry, M'lady…'_ when his overly sensitive hearing picked up a sound that made his throat constrict.

 _"Mom?!"_ a child's voice called above the din. _"Mom, where are you?!"_

Taking a hairpin turn, Chat managed to throw the vines off for a split second. It was just long enough to scan the streets. He spotted a young boy, maybe eleven or twelve, running from storefront to storefront, calling frantically for his mother.

Throwing himself into overdrive, Chat leapt in the boy's direction. He dove off the roof's ledge and in one swift motion, tackled the boy into his arms and extended his staff directly into the ground. The force propelled them both high into the air not a moment too soon. Dozens of the lethal vines snarled around where they had just been.

Somersaulting, Chat wrapped his arms in a protective vice around the boy, cradling his head as they landed hard on a neighboring building. They rolled a few times before Chat finally caught the ledge with his foot, preventing them both from falling into the street below.

"Hey, are you ok, kid?" he asked, pulling back a little to see the boy staring up at him with wonder in his eyes.

"That was the COOLEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO ME!" the boy exclaimed, his lack of fear startling Chat Noir into a grin.

"What's your name, kid?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Peter!" he said, enthusiastically. "It's such an honor to meet your, Monsieur Noir! Can we do that again?"

Chat laughed.

"The pleasure is all mine, Peter," he said, rising to a crouch and snatching the boy up with one arm. "C'mon, I'm sure your mother is worried, so let's get you to safe–"

His words were cut short as a vine the width of a minivan pummeled through the roof they stood on. It missed them by mere inches.

"Hold on!" Chat shouted as he threw himself across the street and onto the next rooftop.

The vines were coming after them, twice as violent as before.

It took all the skill Chat had in him to avoid their gnarls and tendrils. He couldn't help a twinge of pride at how tightly Peter clung to him, arms around his neck and legs around his waist. He hardly budged as Chat twisted and turned and spiraled thought the air, searching desperately for an escape.

A flash of familiar electric blue in the corner of his eye caught his attention.

Chat stumbled in surprise, narrowly managing to catch himself. Shaking a little, he plunged on. He had no time for distractions now.

Another flash of blue caused his vision to go dark for half a second, and suddenly the blood rushing through him was not just adrenaline.

 _'No,'_ he thought desperately, trying to blink away the hallucinations and focus on where he was. _'No, please not now! Please!'_

 _"Adrien…"_

That familiar voice echoed in Chat's head, silencing everything around him for a moment.

His heart leapt into his throat, panic causing him to falter as he leapt over the wide gap between buildings. His foot caught on the ledge, and Peter lost his grip as they both tumbled across the tiles.

Chat desperately regained his footing as Peter sat up and held his arms out to him once more.

 _"Adrien, stop this."_

Flinching, he let out a gasp and dropped to his knees.

"No…" he muttered through clenched teeth. "Please no, not now!"

He glanced up and saw a frightened look cross Peter's face. Surging to his feet again, Chat gathered the boy into his arms and sprinted across the roof. They had just rounded a large brick divider when the world went utterly black.

 _"Adrien, that is enough!"_

 _He opened his eyes and saw his mother before him. Her vivid blue glow was so intense in the void that he had to cover his eyes._

 _One of her hands pulled his away, uncovering his face as her other held his chin firmly._

 _"Why won't you look at me, my son?" she asked, her grip forceful but her gaze contrastingly gentle._

 _It was the same look she had always given him, full of love of kindness. He had ached to see her look at him this way one more time for so long. So long._

 _"Why haven't you come to save me, my love?" she asked, her eyes filling with such sadness that he felt his own fill with tears. "The darkness is so strong, I've been fighting for an eternity. Please come save me, why won't you come save me?"_

 _"I'm sorry," he choked, his voice breaking on a sob. "I don't know how."_

 _"Yes, you do," she said, her voice taking on a strange, bitter intensity. "You have known it for years, you've just been too stubborn to do it."_

 _"Please… I don't know how to save you…"_

 _His tears were pouring down his face freely now._

 _"You must do what you have been fighting against for so long," his mother said, her voice warping, becoming deeper…_

 _Almost like…_

 _"You must give up your Miraculous."_

 _Something was clinging tightly to his neck. He felt like he was suffocating under the building pressure, the darkness consuming him, choking him, destroying him._

 _"It is the only way," his mother said, her voice no longer her own, yet still strangely familiar. "Things can go back to how they were. He can make everything right again. Just stop being so selfish and GIVE UP YOUR MIRACULOUS!"_

 _"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" he bellowed. Raising his clawed hand, he grappled with the force around his neck. "CATACLYSM!"_

 _The hold on his neck loosened. He sucked in a breath of fresh air, choking as the darkness receded._

Chat Noir opened his eyes just in time to see Peter's arms fall away from around his neck as an enormous vine shot towards them. It slammed the boy into his chest and thrust them both across the roof. Chat's back hit the brick divider. A lancing pain ran up his spin and into his skull. Blinding light stole his vision as he cried out in pain.

He forced his eyes open, gritting his teeth as he held Peter to him. He kicked out at the vine, then knocked it farther from them with a sharp blow of his staff. He forced himself to get up, preparing once more to run.

But something felt wrong. Peter did not wrap his arms around him as he had before. In fact, he didn't move at all.

Looking down, Chat Noir saw the vine's thorn piercing through Peter's chest.

In the distance, he thought he heard Ladybug calling his name, but he could not bring himself to respond. He could not move. He felt frozen as an indescribable horror coursed through his body, numbing him to everything in the world around him.

He stared disbelievingly down at Peter's blank expression as he lay unmoving in his arms.

The boy was dead, and he, Chat Noir, had killed him.

* * *

"CHAT!"

Ladybug's scream tore from her throat. She felt as if her heart had plummeted into her stomach as she stared, horrorstruck, at Chat Noir hunched against the wall, cradling the still body of the young boy to his chest.

She had seen it unfold, her attack on the Akuma halting when she'd spotted Chat desperately trying to get the boy out of danger. She'd seen the tell-tale faltering in his escape, seen him stumble as he tried and failed to bring his mind back to reality.

 _'No… No no no no NO!'_

Never before had they failed to protect the people of their city. Buildings had fallen, monsters had rampaged, curses had plunged their world into total darkness… but they had always been able to keep the people safe.

Until now.

"Chat Noir!" she called again.

But he did not respond. He did not move.

She looked down at the yo-yo in her trembling hands. She could still fix this… She _had_ to.

Whipping back around to face the Akuma once more, Ladybug saw the familiar glowing butterfly over Oasis' face.

Her head was tilted to the side, as if seeing a superhero mourning over the body of a child was a source of deep confusion.

Ladybug couldn't hear whatever Hawkmoth was saying to her, but she realized this must be why Oasis had not followed through with her attack on Chat Noir.

 _'Now's the time,'_ she thought grimly.

She had only a small window before Oasis went back on the offense, and she wasn't going to waste it.

"Lucky Charm!" she cried, tossing her yo-yo high into the air, desperate for something, _anything_ to help her stop the destruction.

A plastic gallon bucket covered in polka dots dropped heavily into her hands. A pair of matching tongs was connected to the bucket's handle by a short cord. Looking inside the lid, she saw that it was full of crystalline white cubes the size of her fist. She frowned for a moment before realizing exactly what they were.

 _'Dry ice!'_

Her mind immediately went back to what the florist's assistant had told her about the previous evening's frost destroying their flowers. Looking up at the giant blossoms between her and the Akuma, she realized exactly what she needed to do.

Rushing forward, she leapt onto one of the larger vines, ignoring how it squirmed as she narrowly avoided driving its thorns into her feet with each perilous step. She grasped the tongs firmly as she neared the first flower, its acidic pollen so thick that it was more of a toxic goo dripping down its petals. She collected the first dry ice cube and flung it directly into the flower's center.

The effect was instantaneous.

With a strange hissing noise that almost sounded like a shriek of pain, the flower's color paled and its petals shriveled inward. Within moments, it was overcome with frost.

But Ladybug was already moving on to the next bloom.

It took the Akuma losing four different flowers to notice what was happening. With a scream not unlike the dreadful hissing coming from the dying buds, she raised her arms imperiously and the vines surrounding her snapped back to attention.

Ladybug felt the vine she stood on buck violently. She very nearly lost her footing, but threw the next cube down in front of her. The vine quite literally froze, allowing her to continue her onslaught.

She took out several more flowers and vines, holding her breath as she leapt over a sudden cloud of toxic pollen that rose before her. She felt a searing pain as it stung the exposed skin of her neck and cheeks but ignored it.

At last she found herself standing before the Akuma.

Oasis let out another scream of frustration and charged towards her.

Ladybug was ready. Gathering the bucket firmly in her hands, she flung the last of the dry ice onto Oasis and her throne.

This time, the Akuma's scream was one of pain as she collapsed to her knees, clutching her burned hands to her chest.

Ladybug snatched the flower crown off her head and, carefully avoiding the thorns, she pulled it apart.

The tiny dark butterfly emerged.

In one swift motion, she captured it in her yo-yo. Without a word, she cleansed it and released it back into the world.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" she screamed finally, desperately, tossing the gallon bucket and tongs into the air.

A familiar hum of energy surrounded them as millions of bright lights exploded from the charm, sweeping up and down the city streets and restoring their world to as it should be.

The Akumatized victim was caught up in the magic. In the blink of an eye, her civilian self was sitting on a rooftop balcony, looking around in confusion.

"Oh my – where am I? Ladybug! What happened? W-was I –?"

But Ladybug leapt around her, ignoring her questions. In that moment, she only had eyes for Chat Noir and the young boy.

They had not moved from their place on the roof.

Swiftly, she flung her yo-yo forward and launched up to them.

"Chat?" she asked, almost too scared to learn the truth. "Is… is he…?"

Suddenly, the boy stirred in Chat's arms, twisting around to gaze up at her, very much alive.

Ladybug gasped, the shock of relief coursing through her.

"Wow! Hi Ladybug!" the boy said, grinning up at her.

She slumped against the side of a chimney.

"Hi," she said, beginning to laugh. "Oh thank God, you both had me so worried!"

"What's going on?" the boy asked, gazing over the side of the roof. "Where's the Akuma? Wasn't it just right here?"

"Um," Ladybug hesitated, glancing at Chat Noir for help. But as the boy stood to his feet, Chat remained kneeling, his face stony and his shoulders rigid. "You must've just… blacked out? I've already taken care of the Akuma."

"Aw man!" the boy said, crossing his arms. "I wish I could've seen it."

"I think we got a bit _too_ close to that Akuma for comfort, little man," she sighed. "C'mon, is your family nearby?"

"I think they were down a block or two? I was at a café with my siblings and when the attack started. I tried to find Mom. I don't know if they'll still be there, though."

"Well it's as good a place to start looking as any," Ladybug said.

A gentle _beep-beep_ from her earrings told her she only had a few minutes left before detransforming. Putting her arm around the boy, she drew her yo-yo out and secured it around a chimney across the street.

"Chat Noir and I will make sure you get back to them safe and sound, right Chat?"

But Chat didn't answer.

Looking back over her shoulder, she saw that he hadn't moved from his corner on the roof. Frowning, she turned to face him.

"Chat? Hey Chat! _Chat Noir!"_

Finally, he seemed to shake himself out of whatever stupor he'd been enveloped in. Raising his chin, he met her gaze, and the look in his eyes sent a small shiver down her spine. Ladybug could not read his expression, but she could almost feel the cold darkness rolling off him in waves. He stood to his feet and quietly padded over to join them on the edge of the roof.

The boy looked between the two of them, unsure. Ladybug felt him tighten his hold around her waist.

"You ok?" she asked Chat quietly.

The muscles in his jaw tightened, but otherwise he didn't react to her question. With a _swish_ of his staff, Chat launched himself down the street towards the café the boy had mentioned.

Ladybug tightened her grip on her yo-yo and leapt after him.

They alighted on the cobblestones of the square and the boy had barely released his grip on her when a shout rang from a nearby storefront.

 _"Peter!"_

Turning around, Ladybug saw a young woman rushing towards them looking largely mortified, two young children in tow.

"Oh my goodness Peter!" She dropped to her knees to wrap her son in a tight embrace. The littlest boy had tears running down his cheeks. "Thank God you're alright, we were so _worried."_

"I'm fine," Peter said laughing as he hugged his family back. "It was so cool, Chat Noir totally saved me from those huge vines!"

"Thank you, Ladybug and Chat Noir," Peter's mother said, gazing up at the pair of them and reaching her hand out to hold Ladybug's. "Thank you, _thank you!_ You saved him, how can I ever thank you enough?"

Ladybug smiled and squoze the woman's hand warmly.

"There is no need, Madame. We were just happy to help."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chat Noir standing beside her. He said nothing.

Another _beep-beep_ rang from her earrings. With a last smile at the family, she gently released the woman's hand and left them all to continue their tearful embrace. But as she and Chat turned to leave, their path was cut off by a handful of news reporters and their cameramen.

"Ladybug! Chat Noir!" they were calling, brandishing microphones and small recording devices at them. "Please! Tell us how you saved that boy!"

"How did you manage to defeat this Akuma?"

"Any new leads on Hawkmoth?"

Startled by the sudden onslaught, Ladybug took a step back and bumped into Chat.

"I'm sorry," she said to the reporters, her hand raising apologetically to her earrings. "We don't really have time to – "

"Chat Noir! Why did you freeze up?" one of the reporters demanded over her, pushing his recorder closer.

Ladybug's polite smile dropped. She felt Chat stiffen against her shoulder.

"Are you losing your edge? Why haven't you been able to help Ladybug during these recent attacks?" the reporter pushed on. "There's been talk that you have even been _hindering_ her ability to stop the Akumas. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I – I uh…" Chat finally stuttered, his voice breaking as they all began shouting similar questions. "I don't… I can't…"

"Do you think you're still up to defending Paris with Ladybug?"

Ladybug glanced up at Chat to see a flash pain break through his stoic expression. Furious, she stepped forward and commanded the crowd's attention with a shout.

 _"Hey!_ Chat Noir is as capable and reliable now as he has _ever_ been," she said harshly, crossing her arms over her chest. "He and I are a team. I am not better than him, we are _equals_ and will continue to be partners in the fight against Hawkmoth until Paris is safe once and for all. So thank you, but we really must be going – "

"Chat Noir, what makes you so worthy of standing beside Ladybug!" the reporter interrupted her loudly, pushing forward and inspiring another flood of harsh inquiries from the rest.

"Sorry, but we will answer no more questions today," Ladybug said firmly before turning on her heel and stalking away from the crowd. Wrapping her fingers around Chat's wrist, she pulled him with her until they both had room enough to launch their way back above the skyline.

They managed to put several blocks between themselves and the attack site before Ladybug's earrings rang out a final time and her transformation dropped. They were forced to a halt on a rooftop, out of sight from any curious eyes down below.

Marinette gently caught Tikki in her hands before turning around.

Chat had leaned wearily against the side of a heating grate. His head was hung low, and that unreadable expression had returned to his eyes.

Tikki shot Marinette a worried look before diving into the purse that held her stash of cookies.

Hesitantly, Marinette made her way across the roof.

Chat didn't meet her eyes.

"You know they are all wrong, right?" she said, leaning her shoulder against the wall to face him. "They have no idea what they're talking about."

Chat's only response was to lift his head enough to gaze across the expanse of buildings towards the city's horizon.

Marinette leaned forward, trying to catch his eye.

He refused to meet hers.

"You did everything you could," she continued. "Everything worked out in the end, but… do you want to talk about it?"

"We should get you to class," Chat said finally, straightening up and taking a step away from her, his flat voice betraying no emotion.

Marinette looked at him for another long moment.

"You know I'm here for you, whatever you need. We can figure this out togeth– "

"There's nothing to figure out, Marinette," he cut over her sharply, his hands balling into tight fists.

She leaned off the wall and moved to stand close beside him again.

Once more, he refused to meet her gaze. A small frown furrowed his brow as the silence stretched on.

"C'mon," he said finally, reaching a hand gently around her waist. "We don't want you to be late."

With one last thoughtful look at him, Marinette wrapped her arms around his neck.

Sweeping her feet from beneath her, Chat hoisted her up protectively to his chest. In three long strides, he launched high into the air. They soared from building to building, racing across the city back to the studio Marinette had left when news of the Akuma attack had aired.

Closing her eyes, Marinette buried her face into the crook of his neck. She breathed in his familiar warmth as the wind whipped through her hair. She could tell he was rattled about what had happened to that boy. Hell, just thinking about it made her sick to her own stomach. The image of his family embracing him kept playing across her mind; they had no idea how closed they'd come to losing him…

It only took Chat Noir a few short minutes to reach the secluded alley behind her studio. The back door was sitting ajar, held open by the rock she'd propped it with so as not to need her key-card to get back in.

"Thanks for the lift, Kitty," she said as Chat gently placed her feet back on the ground.

The smile she offered went unnoticed as he still avoided looking directly at her. There was a stiffness in his behavior that she'd rarely seen before. Perhaps that attack had shaken him more than she'd thought.

"Erm… Will I see you tonight?"

"Probably not," he sighed, staring off into the mouth of the alley. "I have a lot of work to get done."

"Oh… ok then," she said, unsure of what else to do. "I guess I do too. Mathis will probably have my head if he thinks I'm trying to skip out on him before our critique."

Chat gazed down at his hands, balling them into fists again.

Marinette waited one more long moment before turning to climb the steps up to the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow then, ok?" she called over her shoulder.

"Marinette, wait…" Chat said, and as she turned back to look down at him, he took her hand in both of his. The ring on his finger felt hot against her skin.

"I… well…"

He frowned, struggling to find the right words.

She watched as he furrowed his brow tight for a long moment before he looked back up at her, his emerald eyes piercing into hers.

"I… I just wanted to say… I love you."

Marinette gave him a soft smile and lifted his hands to gently brush her lips against his fingers.

"I love you too," she whispered.

He held her gaze for one last moment before finally turning to go, letting her hand fall.

As she turned to kick the rock out from propping the door, she caught a last glimpse of him disappearing like a shadow over the roof's ledge high above. Her stomach felt tight with an anxiety that she couldn't place.

 _'Probably just still shaken up from that attack,'_ she decided as she hurried up the staircase to her studio.

The place was buzzing with activity when she arrived. Meesh and Alec were hard at work just as she'd left them; they both greeted her cheerily and she smiled back, doing her best to hide the confused tension that was welling up inside. Meesh's tablet – which had been what tipped Marinette off to the Akuma in the first place – was still sitting on her desk, the newsreel now muted.

Mathis, to her displeasure, was also in her corner. He offered her a curt nod as he glanced up from the mannequin he was busy pinning fabric to.

She returned the gesture with a nod of her own.

"Did you hear about that Akuma attack?" Alec asked as Marinette sat down at her desk.

"Hmm?" she said absently, shuffling through a few sketches before landing on the one she was looking for.

"Yeah, it looks like things went a bit crazy," Meesh said, nodding seriously. "Did you see how those giant vines were just taking over all those buildings?"

"I'd say the more interesting part of that news sequence was the interview _after_ the attack," Mathis said, surprising all of them with his input.

Marinette stiffened as he continued.

"I mean it's clear that those reporters had Chat Noir cornered with their questions."

"I think that was incredibly rude of them," Meesh said curtly. "I mean how do they _really_ know what went down during that attack? Or _any_ attack for that matter?"

"It seemed pretty obvious to me," Mathis sneered. "Chat Noir is clearly losing his nerve."

"What do you mean 'losing his nerve'?" Meesh shot back. "I think _anyone_ would be caught off guard when a bunch of reporters start attacking them."

"It's not like he didn't have time to prepare for it," Alec offered. "The news has been saying stuff like that for a while, haven't they?"

"So what, people are just going to ignore all the years of good he's done to protect them?"

"Well, maybe all those years are finally catching up with him."

"I don't think it's the years catching up with him," Mathis cut in. "I think it's just the fact that he's finally showing how unevenly matched he is with Ladybug."

"But even Ladybug herself said they were an equal team!" Meesh cried angrily.

"Oh please! The cat practically let that boy _die –"_

 _"Enough!"_

Marinette slammed her sketchbook back on her desk with a loud _bang,_ effectively shutting the other three up as they looked around at her in surprise.

"I would _appreciate it,"_ she said in a clipped voice, "if we could all just stop talking about them like we know everything that's happened."

"Oh right," Mathis said, rolling his eyes. "I forgot, you're all _buddy-buddy_ with the city's supers, aren't you?"

"Yes," Marinette turned to face him with a cold glare. "I am close enough with them to know that they always do everything in their power to keep the people of this city safe. And who cares what those news reports say? They still saved everyone from that Akuma, right?"

"Yeah, just like they _always_ fix everything, hm?" he replied, amusement in his tone.

Marinette stared at him, the sick feeling of anxiety filling the pit of her stomach again.

Mathis simply smiled, knowing exactly which Akuma attack he'd made her think of.

"C'mon, let's just get this work done," she said stiffly, turning away from him and pulling over the mannequin that held her own design. She could almost feel the smugness flowing off of him, hating the sick joy he got out of reminding her of that horrible night.

Meesh and Alec both tried to catch her eye, but she resolutely ignored them, and they eventually began chatting about other things.

The four of them worked for hours. Their instructors eventually showed up for class, but it was rather informal. They had a midterm presentation the following day, so Charbonneau and a few others merely gave them some last-minute suggestions. Critiques went quickly, and they were soon left alone again with their projects.

Aside from the occasional design discussion with Mathis, Marinette managed to largely tune them all out. As her hands stitched, her mind wandered back to Adrien. She ended up sending several messages to him over the course of the evening, but he never responded. The night grew long, though the studio hardly emptied of fellow students still hard at work. It was not unusual for their class to pull all-nighters to get things done, but now that they were in their final year, the amount of time everyone spent in the studio seemed to be at an all-time high.

Unfortunately, Marinette was finding it difficult to focus. Her glances towards her phone had grown more and more frequent, but it remained stubbornly free of new messages.

"I need a break," she said finally, standing up from her work as the tension became too suffocating.

"There's still a lot left to do, Marinette," Mathis said, looking up from his own garment. "I won't have us getting a bad review just because you decided to skip out."

"I'm not _skipping out,"_ she shot back irritably, collecting her bag. "I'm just going to get some food, take a nap, and pick up my other dresses from home. And I don't have a ton left to do on this one anyways, so stop worrying about the critique. I'll be back in a couple hours, tops."

"You'd better be," he called after her as she shut the studio door behind her.

Marinette rolled her eyes as she hurried down the staircase. Stepping out into the chilly Autumn night, she tightened her scarf about her.

"Are you ok, Marinette?" Tikki asked, peeking out from her bag.

"I'm fine," she shrugged. "I'm worried about Adrien. I don't like how he was acting after that attack... I think that whole thing really got to him."

"And those reporters didn't help, either," Tikki said, crossing her arms.

Marinette nodded thoughtfully.

Though it didn't take long for her to cross campus, it was nearing two in the morning when she finally traipsed through the door of her apartment. Yawning hugely, Marinette moved to retrieve a glass from one of the kitchen cabinets and filled it up with water from the sink. Turning off the twinkle lights Alya had left on for her, she made her way across the dark living room and shut her bedroom door behind her. She kicked off her shoes and shrugged her backpack onto the ground before turning on the light.

As Tikki flew out of her bag and made her way to the tin of cookies on her bookshelf, Marinette shivered a little.

"Why is it so cold in here?" she muttered. The curtains blowing in a gentle breeze from the open window above her desk caught her eye.

 _'Strange,'_ she thought, moving forward to close the window. _'I don't remember leaving that open…'_

It was then that Marinette saw it. A small, familiar black box was sitting on top of her desk.

Her heart jumped into her throat. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She _knew_ that box; it was exactly like the ones she had delivered to her friends in times of need. She herself had opened such a box the very first day she'd met Tikki.

It was a box that held a Miraculous.

"Oh no…" Tikki gasped, hovering above Marinette's shoulder.

Stepping forwards and reaching for the box, Marinette saw there was a piece of paper folded in half beside it. With trembling hands, she picked the paper up and unfolded it. There were only two words written within. Two words in Adrien's handwriting that confirmed her fears.

 _'I'm sorry.'_

* * *

 **Hey hey, y'all got a chapter a whole day earlier than scheduled! I have a busy Friday planned, and I wanted to make sure this still got posted :)**  
 **Am I sorry for the cliffhanger? HA! When have I ever been? ;D**


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